The OKC Thunder fell to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday in the Las Vegas Summer League semifinals. Here are our takeaways.
Everyone's luck eventually runs out in Las Vegas.
The OKC Thunder was looking to become the first franchise to ever win an NBA championship and then win the following Las Vegas Summer League title. But the Charlotte Hornets had other plans.
OKC suffered a 109-80 loss to Charlotte in the semifinals. The Thunder, which was without Ajay Mitchell and Nikola Topić, trailed for all but 54 seconds.
That marked the end of OKC's time in Las Vegas, but it can count its chips with pride. The Thunder received strong showings from players such as Mitchell and Topić, who'll compete for minutes next season, and they potentially hit the jackpot with other players such as Brooks Barnhizer and Chris Youngblood.
"I thought the guys made a lot of progress throughout the time (in Las Vegas), and that's promising," OKC Summer League head coach Connor Johnson said. "There are a lot of positives to take away."
OKC will now shift its focus to the 2025-26 preseason, which begins on Oct. 5 with a game against none other than Charlotte in Charleston, South Carolina.
Here are four more takeaways from the game:
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Branden Carlson showed flashes of shot creation
M.J. Walker's stance, despite being open, was far from inviting.
When Branden Carlson searched for a way around the Charlotte guard on the perimeter, he was met with an elbow to the rib cage. It was a clear sign to back up.
So, he did. Carlson separated himself from Walker with a stepback 3-pointer, which found the bottom of the net. That marked the second straight off-the-dribble bucket for the 7-foot center midway through the first quarter.
On a day when OKC was without its go-to playmakers, Mitchell and Topić, Carlson showed an ability to create for himself. The 26-year-old big man recorded 12 points and seven rebounds on 5-for-10 shooting from the field (1 for 3 from deep).
Carlson impressed this summer after missing OKC's first five games due to a sprained ankle. He averaged 11.7 points, six rebounds and 2.3 assists throughout three contests on 56.7% shooting from the field (50% from deep).
Carlson is set to rejoin OKC next season. He recently signed a new two-way contract.
Charlotte dared Brooks Barnhizer to shoot from deep
As Youngblood waited to inbound the ball late in the second quarter, Barnhizer slowly crept out to the 3-point line.
Barnhizer wasn't followed by a defender, but that was by design. The Hornets, who'd swarmed the Thunder all game on defense, deemed other threats to be a bigger priority.
Barnhizer gathered a pass at the top of the arc, and he had plenty of space to let it fly. The ball clanked off the left side of the rim.
Barnhizer shined this summer as a strong defender, an aggressive rebounder and a good finisher who can absorb contract. But his 3-point shooting remains a work in progress, which is why Charlotte dared him to shoot throughout the game.
Barnhizer finished with 10 points and three rebounds. He went 3 for 12 from the field (1 for 6 from deep).
After being selected by OKC in the second round (44th overall) of the 2025 draft, Barnhizer played in all eight of his team's Summer League games. He averaged 10.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.6 steals on 47.7% shooting from the field (25% from deep).
Chris Youngblood completed his compelling Summer League run
Thomas & Mack Center was silent.
Its seats, which were filled at the start of Summer League, were now mostly empty. Some fans had gone back home. Others had better plans for a Saturday night in Las Vegas than to watch a blowout game.
But even with the air taken out of the venue, OKC received a brief spark midway through the third quarter. It came from its top flamethrower, Youngblood, who drilled a pair of 3-pointers on consecutive possessions.
That wasn't enough to turn things around for OKC, which was still eliminated from the playoffs. But it was the final set of fireworks from Youngblood, who delivered a dazzling display of 3-point shooting this summer.
After not getting selected in the 2025 draft, Youngblood made the most of his opportunity in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. He averaged 11 points throughout eight games on 46.5% shooting from deep.
Youngblood has made a compelling case to earn OKC's third and final two-way contract. The other two spots have gone to Carlson and Barnhizer.
Erik Reynolds II made his minutes count down the stretch
The second half of Saturday's blowout game might not have meant much to most people, but it meant something to Erik Reynolds II.
OKC's backup guard scored all 16 of his points in the final two quarters. He went 5 for 12 from the field (5 for 11 from deep).
After spending all four seasons of his college career at Saint Joseph's, Reynolds didn't get selected in the 2025 draft. He then joined OKC for Summer League but struggled to see the floor.
Reynolds entered Saturday's contest with an average of 6.8 minutes played through six games, and he didn't play in another game. But he logged 21 minutes against Charlotte and used that valuable time to showcase his sharpshooting skills.
It's hard to imagine Reynolds earning OKC's final two-way contract over a player such as Youngblood, who caught fire from deep throughout the entire Summer League run. But it might be worth the Thunder taking a closer look at him on its G League affiliate, the OKC Blue.
Justin Martinez covers sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder run in NBA Summer League ends in semifinals vs Hornets
Category: Basketball
