Payton Sandfort knows what it feels like when he releases a shot that’s on the money.
It’s a familiar sensation for the second-year forward, who has cashed in on countless 3-pointers. And that’s why he immediately reacted after heaving a game-tying triple in the closing seconds of OKC’s Las Vegas Summer League game against Denver on Tuesday.
Sandfort knew the shot was short. And sure enough, it failed to even reach the rim as the final buzzer sounded, sealing the Nuggets’ 106-103 win.
Sandfort untucked his jersey in frustration while walking off the floor. It was a disappointing ending for the Thunder, which was determined to avoid falling to 0-6 in Summer League play. So much so that it willed its way back into the game after trailing by 11 points with 4:01 remaining.
A key contributor to the comeback attempt was Sandfort, who scored nine fourth-quarter points to finish with 19. He also added three rebounds, two assists and one block in 26 minutes on 7-for-18 shooting from the field (2 for 8 from deep).
OKC will continue Summer League play with a game against the Dallas Mavericks at 3 p.m. CT Thursday.
Here are three takeaways from the loss:
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Aday Mara continues to take steps in the right direction
Aday Mara hasn’t suited up with the Thunder’s real roster just yet, but he has clearly been watching film.
Bennett Stirtz fed the ball to the big man, who sent a between-the-leg bounce pass back to him before setting a screen. It’s a play OKC often runs with Isaiah Hartenstein, another 7-footer with great floor vision and playmaking skills.
Hartenstein is also known for his signature push shot. And when Stirtz gave the ball back to Mara, he pulled out the move to perfection by sinking an 11-foot floater.
That sequence provided a glimpse of what Mara can do with the Thunder. The 7-foot-3 center has plenty of skill to his game, and his passing should shine even brighter alongside some star teammates.
Mara finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 25 minutes on 6-for-6 shooting from the field. It’s another step in the right direction for the 12th pick in the 2026 draft after a slow start to Summer League play.
Buddy Boeheim caught fire in front of his father
Buddy Boeheim has played in front of his father, legendary head coach Jim Boeheim, plenty of times.
There were the countless games when he was a kid growing up in New York, and there were the four seasons he spent under his father at Syracuse from 2018-22. But Tuesday was different.
Jim joined ESPN’s broadcast crew for the second quarter of OKC’s game against Denver, and he got to watch Buddy catch fire for the Thunder. The 26-year-old guard scored seven points in the quarter, doing damage from both inside and outside of the arc.
Boeheim ended the night with 10 points, one rebound and one assist in 16 minutes. He went 4 for 5 from the field (2 for 3 from deep).
It was a solid performance by Boeheim, who went undrafted in 2022 and spent the first two seasons of his pro career with the Detroit Pistons’ G League team. He then joined OKC’s G League team in 2024 and briefly held a two-way contract with the Thunder last season.
Bennett Stirtz played with a sense of urgency
Connor Johnson’s yells echoed throughout The Pavilion.
OKC’s Las Vegas Summer League head coach was emphatically telling Stirtz to push the ball up the floor after he gathered a pass underneath his own basket. Time was of the essence for the Thunder, which trailed by 10 points with just under three minutes left in regulation.
But in reality, Johnson didn’t have to tell Stirtz to pick up the pace. The rookie guard was already in an all-out sprint, and he dusted a Denver defender on his way to the rim for an easy layup.
Stirtz played with a sense of urgency all night. He created shots for himself, set up his teammates for clean looks and hustled defensively throughout his 30 minutes of action. And he was the driving force of OKC’s frenzied fourth-quarter comeback attempt.
Stirtz stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, six assists, two rebounds, one steal and one block. He went 8-for-16 from the field (2 for 8 from deep).
Thunder vs. Mavericks
TIP-OFF: 3 p.m. Thursday at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas (Prime)
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com 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 still winless in NBA Summer League, but there’s a bright spot
