It was another tough Summer League game for the OKC team.
The Oklahoma City Thunder went winless this summer, losing 97-87 to the Dallas Mavericks. The Thunder did not submit any of their draft picks as Adai Mara, Bennett Stirtz and Otega Owe did not take the court.
This will greatly hinder OKC and lead to another loss for Oklahoma City. There would still be good play throughout the game, but in the end it would be another bad team effort by the Thunder.
Here are three takeaways from the Thunder’s loss to Dallas.
February 12, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Buddy Boeheim stands after checking the game against the Milwaukee Bucks in the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Links: Alonso Adams-Imagne Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
1. Great result from Buddy Boeheim
It seemed like this game was all Buddy Boeheim as he was a threat on both sides of the ball. Boeheim scored 13 points in 18 minutes of action Thursday. The Syracuse graduate coped with the task effectively, making 57% of his shots from the field and 40% from behind the arc.
Boeheim continued that defensive dominance from the start. He had three steals and a block in the first half, showing off his electric defense early on. Overall, Boeheim will be one of the biggest contributors to OKC’s game in trying to help them compete.
April 12, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Payton Sandfort (14) runs down the court during a game against the Phoenix Suns at Paycom Center. Mandatory Links: Alonso Adams-Imagne Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
2. Second half collapse
The Thunder found themselves in contention for the first half of this game, going into the break with just four down. However, the second half was not the same story. The Dallas Mavericks opened the second half on a 20-2 run and outscored OKC 28-18 in the third quarter.
This collapse would lead to another loss for the Oklahoma City team as OKC would not recover from the damage in the fourth quarter. Two key players, Mara and Stirz, were missing from the squad, which made it even more difficult to return.
April 12, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Brooks Barnhizer (23) walks down the court during the second half of the game against the Phoenix Suns at Paycom Center. Mandatory Links: Alonso Adams-Imagne Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
3. Brooks Barnhizer shows off a little bit of everything.
Barnhizer was the leader of the Summer League team and pitched again against the Mavericks. The two-way guard led the team in scoring with 21 points for the Thunder. It wasn’t just a goal: Barnhizer also led OKC in rebounds and still had solid assists with 12 and five, respectively, for a double-double.
He was also present on defense, finishing the game with a steal and a block. Barnhizer did everything in his power to try to get the Thunder back into the game late, but it was ultimately unsuccessful. It’s been a tough summer for the Thunder, but Barnhizer certainly hasn’t been the problem.
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