Posting up on Zuby Ejiofor, Aday Mara showed off his footwork. Hitting him with a spin move, the seven-footer added some flair with a pump-fake. That was enough to get the bite. He went with the fadeaway jumper that swished in. Backpedaling to defense, the first-quarter bucket proved to be the top highlight.
The Oklahoma City Thunder ran out of gas in their 82-77 Summer League loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Up by 20 points, the offense slowly fell apart as they couldn’t hold onto their comfortable lead.
I know the final results of these exhibitions don’t matter, but it still stings to see the group meltdown like that. As the sports saying goes, it was a tale of two halves. To get things started, the Thunder played like a team that had a fire lit under their butt after getting dominated by the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.
Going on a run to create space, the Thunder scored 15 consecutive points in the first quarter. That allowed them to have a 26-11 lead after the opening frame. The offense just simply looked better and smoother. The ball pinged around. And the defensive energy was contagious. Mara closing out on a corner 3-pointer on the first possession set the tone. If the 7-foot-3 player can do that, then you have zero excuse to not do the same.
Eventually, the Thunder sat on a 20-point cushion. Mara made it a 41-21 lead thanks to the controversial one-free-throw-attempt rule. With around three minutes to go in the first half, the vibes were great. But then the Hawks quickly made up for lost time. Suddenly, their outside shots started to fall.
In a poor finish to the first half, the Thunder were on the wrong side of a 15-2 run. They scored just 17 points in the second frame and entered halftime with a vulnerable 43-36 lead. Quite the turn of events considering they were on their way to a blowout win. Goes to show how quickly a game script can change.
Unfortunately, the second half only saw things get worse. The Thunder entered a scoring drought. They never saw grass or water the rest of the way. Kingston Flemings started to play like a top-eight draft pick. He dared to stop Mara in a one-on-one situation and did — even if it left him bruised. Gabe Madsen eventually put OKC behind on the scoreboard with an outside jumper.
Just like that, poof. The Thunder saw their 20-point lead disappear. At a pretty rapid pace — even for today’s standards. They were in a 46-45 hole with a little under six minutes to go. Doing napkin math, it took about seven minutes of game time to see OKC go from up 20 to down one.
From there, the offense remained stuck in the mud. Only Payton Sandfort salvaged things with a hot scoring run. He helped the Thunder keep it within striking distance. Meanwhile, the Hawks enjoyed a 22-8 run to alter the game’s tempo. OKC only tallied 15 points in the third frame. It exited with a 61-58 deficit.
Not the best situation to find yourself in, but still plenty of time to turn things around. Bryce Thompson tied things up on a running floater. Finishing the and-one opportunity at the free-throw line, the Thunder were finally up again at 67-66 with around a little over five minutes to go. Clutch time. Alas, that was the peak of things for OKC.
The Hawks stopped messing around. Down one, they responded with a 14-2 run over the next four minutes. The Thunder couldn’t generate points. Bennett Strirtz’s jumper was off. Mara was uncharacteristically inefficient. And Brooks Barnhizer couldn’t convert at the cup multiple times. Everything just melted down — like leaving an ice cream cone unattended in the summer months.
The Thunder scored just 19 points in the fourth quarter. They failed to reach the 20-point mark in the final three frames of this one. The scoring talent just isn’t there with this group — at least not through the first two Summer League games.
The Thunder shot 36% from the field and went 5-of-15 (33.3%) from 3. They shot 13-of-19 on free throws. They had 15 assists on 25 baskets. Three Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Mara had 10 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Sandfort went off for 25 points and four rebounds off the bench. Thompson also helped with 12 points.
Meanwhile, the Hawks shot 38% from the field and went 12-of-36 (33.3%) from 3. They shot 9-of-15 on free throws. They had 19 assists on 27 baskets. Four Hawks players scored double-digit points.
Flemings had 12 points, five assists and three blocks. Ejiofor also left his mark with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Asa Newell had 13 points and seven rebounds. Keshon Gilbert dropped 12 points.
I know these Summer League events are mostly inconsequential and serve as entertainment for fans and a get-to-know-you for draft picks, but not the greatest showing for the Thunder — especially with how things played out. They were great from the jump on both ends. But things dulled out as the game progressed. Need to play a lot more consistently, to say the least.
It’s cool that Sandfort and Thompson shined in these opportunities. After all, that’s kinda the second-biggest reason for the July extravaganza as pro players try to keep their NBA dreams alive. But they can’t be your headliners if you’re the Thunder — plain and simple. Mara and Stirtz have shown flashes, but you’d prefer to see something a little more sustainable from your two top-16 picks.
Let’s look at Thunder player grades:
Aday Mara: B-minus
In a quick give-and-go, Mara went with the ghost screen as he rolled to the rim. Stirtz simply floated the ball up in the air. The trust paid off as the 21-year-old behemoth caught the ball one-handed and threw down the alley-oop. Nobody from Atlanta even tried to contest the connection.
Mara finished with 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting, nine rebounds and one assist. He shot 2-of-4 on free throws. He also had four blocks.
Pretty good game if you’re looking for signs of Mara’s secondary skills. Pretty forgettable game if you’re hoping to see him be a more impactful scorer. The 21-year-old has lived up to his advertised billing. The size and potential are tantalizing, but it’s obvious that it’ll be a while before he truly makes an impact at the NBA level.
Surprisingly enough, Mara wasn’t his usual efficient self. That was one of his strong points at Michigan. He might not be creative with his shot diet, but he’ll put the ball through the hoop. Likely given more leeway to experiment, the 21-year-old was pretty quiet in that department. The floater remains a work in progress. And he’s actually trying jumpers.
You love to see the experimentation on Mara’s end. That’s half the battle when it comes to developing new skills. But it’s just not there yet. Obviously. Elsewhere, he showed off the rest of his arsenal. The rebounding was a plus. His sheer size will make it easy for him to gobble up boards. And same with the blocks. He had a handful as the Hawks couldn’t figure out the angles to attack.
Nothing too crazy from Mara. The Thunder are letting him play out of character in this environment. Which is exactly what you want to see from your lottery pick in the Summer League. Feels like we’re seeing in real time both sides figuring out how to play with each other.
Tuff bucket 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/tIQWlq5cHT
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 6, 2026
Putting it 🆙🔝 pic.twitter.com/SzfYLmfhGR
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 7, 2026
Bennett Stirtz: C-minus
Getting the one-on-one look with Henri Veesaar, Stirtz enjoyed being on an island. Dribbling the ball side-to-side, he eventually settled with a deep left-wing outside jumper. We’ve seen tidbits of it through two Summer League games, but the 22-year-old is not afraid to create his own shot or test his range limits.
Stirtz finished with nine points on 4-of-14 shooting, three assists and two rebounds. He shot 1-of-7 from 3.
Let’s give Stirtz the rest of the Summer League before casting judgment — something tells me the Iowa Iron Man will play the full two weeks — but so far, it’s been a pretty meh first couple of games. The aggressiveness has been terrific to see. That’s always half the battle for NBA rookies in this environment. And you hope eventually, the results follow.
But for now, the jumper just isn’t falling for Stirtz. He’s getting to his spots at all three levels. He’s shown he’s not simply just a catch-and-shoot guy. He can create a little off the dribble. He can drive to the rim. He can even facilitate as plenty of on-ball possessions were syphoned his way this time around. That said, variance hasn’t been on his side just yet.
Eventually, things should turn around for Stirtz. It’s a numbers game, after all. But for now, the Thunder have yet to see him go on a microwave scoring streak. The volume has been great to see. That underlies a good process game. The rhythm players need to discover his mojo at this level. Sooner rather than later.
Stirtz showing off the range 🎯 pic.twitter.com/C8w44fBf5d
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 7, 2026
Payton Sandfort: A-plus
Helping Stirtz beat the double team, Sandfort quickly knocked down the right-wing outside jumper. The third-quarter buzzer-beater showed just how much of a groove he was in. Of the entire Summer League roster, the 23-year-old has had the best start. Quite the irony, too — considering his contract status.
Sandfort finished with 25 points on 6-of-10 shooting, four rebounds and two assists. He shot 4-of-6 from 3 and went 4-of-4 on free throws.
It was all buckets for Sandfort. Consistently throughout the entire game, too. He got things started with 11 points in the first quarter. Through three frames, he scored 20 points in 15 minutes on seven shot attempts. That’s Gilgeous-Alexander-esque scoring efficiency from him.
As OKC’s top scorer, Sandfort had no problem lighting it up. He had a quick outside jumper that barely needed any space or time. He played with the greenest light possible. The rest of his teammates were in the mud on offense, but he thrived. Even with the Thunder blowing a 20-point lead, he has nothing to be ashamed about from an individual level.
Sandfort has the best story on the Thunder. After he lost his two-way spot, he could’ve easily sulked and gone elsewhere. Instead, he kept his head down and used it as a chip on his shoulder. Heck, he’s outplayed all three of OKC’s two-way guys so far. Amazing what having a healthy offseason does for you after he missed last summer with two shoulder surgeries. If he keeps this up, someone will surely get him a two-way deal.
Sandfort to beat the buzzer 🚨 pic.twitter.com/MK2joXCxbe
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 7, 2026
Bryce Thompson: B
Going with the running floater, Thompson helped the Thunder tie things up in the fourth quarter. After a made free throw to complete the and-one play, his transition bucket was a brief moment of serenity in a game that was frankly skippable. Especially if you switched over to the USA’s World Cup match.
Thompson finished with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting. He shot 3-of-4 on free throws.
No offense to Thompson, but him being highlighted here shows just how bad this game was for the Thunder. You’d rather see any of their three two-way guys get the shoutout. But none really did anything to earn it. Alas, that opens up opportunities for others. That’s what the 24-year-old did in this one.
Part of the rotation, Thompson scored eight points in the second half. Funny enough, it was the G League guys who helped the Thunder get back into this. Once the starting lineup checked back in for the final minutes, that’s when the Hawks finally ran away for good. Those learning experiences matter more than actually winning games in this environment.
I like what Thompson did as a scorer. It’s probably too late for him to make the NBA jump. But he’s definitely played well enough at the G League level to stick around as a scorer. He’s also another cool story as he enjoyed his best collegiate years at Oklahoma State. So he has a lot of OKC fans rooting for his journey.
BT through the contact x2️⃣💪 pic.twitter.com/DFc1NAePBq
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 7, 2026
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This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder have meltdown in 82-77 Summer League loss to Hawks
