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Dillon Jones leads Thunder to 117-89 win over Breakers

Posted on by Kennedy
Dillon Jones leads Thunder to 117-89 win over Breakers

TULSA – In the third preseason game in four nights, the Oklahoma City Thunder sat out several players against the NBL's New Zealand Breakers. This evened the odds between both teams. The contest went from what seemed like an easy win for OKC to a tight game where they had to exert themselves.

In a back-and-forth affair, the undermanned Thunder used a strong second half to claim a 117-89 preseason victory over the Breakers.

Before the start, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault announced that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins would be resting. These are OKC’s top nine rotation players.

Ajay Mitchell, Jaylin Williams, Kenrich Williams and Nikola Topic were also missing due to injury. That left the Thunder with just eight players left. OKC looked more like the G League's OKC Blue squad, leaning on those eight players to play heavy minutes.

It was a fast start for both sides. The Breakers had a 36-34 lead after the first quarter. The Thunder were down 60 at halftime.

After trailing for most of the contest, the Thunder's 24-point third quarter helped them enter the final frame with an 84-76 lead. The Thunder broke through in the final frame with a 33-13 points lead. OKC managed to secure the 28-point win until the final minutes.

The Thunder shot 53% from the field and went 16 of 39 (41%) from 3. They had 23 assists on 45 baskets. Six of the eight Thunder players scored in double figures.

Dillon Jones led the way with a double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Ousmane Dieng contributed with a nearly 20-point triple-double. Adam Flagler got off to a hot start from deep, scoring 25 points.

Meanwhile, the Breakers shot 39% from the field and went 15 of 42 (35.7%) from 3. They had 18 assists on 32 baskets. Three Breakers players scored in double figures.

Matt Mooney had 19 points and seven rebounds. Parker Jackson-Cartwright scored 16 points and eight assists. Mojave King had 16 points and five rebounds.

Overall it was an uneventful exhibition. The Thunder negated that performance to give their rotation players a break. Jones and Dieng were outstanding, but it's difficult to take much more away from this competition considering most will be playing for the Blues this season.

Let's look at the Thunder players' grades:

Dillon Jones: A

With several players sidelined, Jones had a chance to take advantage of the extra reps. Similar to his summer league stint, the 22-year-old performed against the Breakers for all the right reasons.

Jones finished the game with 23 points on 8 of 13 shooting, 13 rebounds, five assists and four steals. He stuffed the stat sheet in 35 minutes. The point forward continues to showcase his versatility as a ball handler. Several of his baskets passed the paint. Others were simple dribbling mishaps against defenders.

There isn't much to be gleaned from this performance, but it's positive to see Jones dominating the non-NBA talent. He leaned more toward his version of Weber State as the primary ball-handler and scorer.

Ousmane Dieng: B-plus

It was a slow start for Dieng against his former team, but he finished strong and nearly managed a triple-double. He finished the game with 20 points on 7 of 16 shooting, 10 rebounds and nine assists. He shot 3 of 7 from 3 and made 3 of 5 from the free throw line.

Given the circumstances, it's no surprise that Dieng feels comfortable. He was the lead ballplayer, a similar role in which he thrived with the Blues last year. The 21-year-old's problem is adjusting to a scaled-down version of that role with the fully healthy Thunder.

The 21-year-old is entering his most important season. It will be his third year, which means it's all about staying in OKC for the long term. The odds are against him, but this is a step in the right direction.

Adam Flagler: B-plus

Flagler made four three-pointers in the first few minutes. He got off to a hot start from the outside. As in the summer league, the 24-year-old left everything on the pitch and gave a productive performance.

Flagler finished the game with 25 points on 9 of 17 shooting and three rebounds in 35 minutes. He shot 5 of 10 from 3. His outside shot is his bread and butter. The two-way player is likely to be a starter for the Blues at the start of the season.

If Flagler can be a productive outside shooter, he has a chance at an NBA career. 3-point shooting is always a hot commodity in the league.

Malevy Leons: C

After going undrafted, Leons Bradley had intriguing physical tools that attracted the Thunder. He was added to the summer league squad and played occasionally.

The 25-year-old got his first draw of the preseason against the Breakers. He finished the game with 14 points on 7 of 8 shooting, six rebounds and four steals in 34 minutes. Thanks to the 1.90 meter tall striker's wingspan, he was able to break up passing lanes and circle defenders near the edge of the pitch.

He has an Exhibit 10 contract and is likely to be signed by the Blues. Don't expect him to play with the Thunder this season as he continues to develop behind the scenes in the G League.

Highlights:

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