* **Whew, no deja vu.** After the Washington Wizards tied the game at 44 in the second quarter, the Oklahoma City Thunder flexed to take a 10-point lead into the half and maintained a solid lead through most of the third when OKC went cold, yet again. The Kings made a push and pulled within 2 with 1:34 to go in the third quarter. But unlike against the Mavericks, the Thunder struck back immediately and built a lead as large as 24 in the fourth quarter to run away with the win.
* **SGA gets 31 and then some rest.** Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did what he almost always does. SGA led OKC with 31 points, 7 assists, and shot the ball well–11-of-20 from the field, 3-of-6 from deep, and a perfect 6-of-6 from the FT line. Yes, he took 6 free throws! The horror!
* **Ajay does it again.** A team high 30 minutes of run, scoring 20 points, 2 assists, and 2 steals. While Mitchell didn't shoot the ball well, he was active, especially on the defensive end.
* **Welcome back, Isaiah Joe.** In his first regular season action, Joe wasn't shy about making his presence felt. The sharpshooter scored 20 points, including 5-of-9 from three and was hunting shots.
* **Hartenstein’s a man.** Again without his running mate, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein posted 17 points, 8 boards, 5 assists, and 3 blocks. Every time the Wizards tried to test the paint, Hartenstein looked like a brick wall, and on the other end, was cutting to the basket like a madman, catching lobs and runs in a show of force.
* **Hart's also got heart.** Before the game, the NBA and NBPA announced Hartenstein as the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner for the 2025 offseason. The OKC center has been known for his community service, and it's great to see him get the recognition he deserves for his dedication to giving back.
* **Cason was great.** Cason Wallace logged 12 points and 5 boards while creating havoc like he always does with 4 (!!) steals.
* **Alex Caruso did Caruso things.** No points, but three steals, and two assists while ending up +11 in +/-. Dude was pesky.
* **Six turnovers total.** After coughing up 15 in Sacramento, OKC finished tonight with just six. They forced the Wizards into 23 turnovers, winning the points off turnover battle 26-5. That's Thunder basketball.
In a shock announcement, Sam Presti notified the media that Nikola Topic, who had been sitting out all season due to a "testicular procedure," was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Topic is undergoing chemotherapy, and Presti said that his doctors are "extremely positive" about his treatment and prognosis.
While this is disappointing news because all of Thunder nation was excited to see Topic on the court, we all just want to see Topic respond well to chemotherapy, get the cancer into remission, and make a full recovery.
Get well soon, Nikola.