It turned into a memorable night for two former Hawkeyes in Oklahoma City’s first loss of the season.
The Thunder’s injury situation has become impossible to ignore. Dallas handed OKC its first defeat of the 2026-2027 campaign, and the roster looked stretched thin while four starters were unavailable. Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso are day-to-day, Cason Wallace is out indefinitely with a torn labrum, and Jalen Williams is done for the season after breaking his fibula and dislocating his ankle.
That mess of absences created an opening, and Bennett Stirtz and Josh Dix stepped right into it. The two former Iowa players logged major minutes in the loss, giving OKC a rare look at a pair of Hawkeyes sharing the floor in the NBA, even though they never overlapped at Iowa.
Dallas controlled the game from start to finish and kept Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in check, holding him to 21 points on 7-for-19 shooting. Oklahoma City had trouble keeping pace with so many pieces missing, but Stirtz and Dix both got extended run and made the most of the opportunity in different ways.
Stirtz, whom Oklahoma City acquired by trading two second-round picks to Memphis before taking him with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, looked comfortable early. He scored six points in four minutes off the bench in the first half and finished with 8 points, three assists, and a line that included 60 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent from deep in 28 minutes.
After starring at Northwest Missouri State, Drake, and Iowa, he is still adjusting to a different role, but the skills that made OKC believe in him are showing up. He can handle the ball, knock down shots, and organize the offense when SGA or McCain sit.
Dix’s path has been tougher. He went undrafted, then signed a two-way deal with the Thunder after a strong offseason.
After transferring from Iowa, he had a rough final year at Creighton, finishing with a career-low 33.8 percent from three and his second-worst field-goal mark at 43.9 percent. He averaged 13.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in that season, and his shooting remains the swing skill in his game.
Against Dallas, Dix scored the first points of his NBA career, but the rest of the night was a struggle. He finished with 2 points on 1-for-8 shooting and added two rebounds.
For now, both players matter to Oklahoma City’s immediate plans. Stirtz has the cleaner path to a bigger role, especially with guard depth thinned out, and the Thunder were high on him before and after the draft.
Alex Caruso should be back soon and likely starts, but he can still help off the bench. Dix’s route is less certain, particularly if the shot stays cold, but the Thunder need bodies and shot-making wherever they can find it.
Stirtz looks like a player who can run the offense, handle real minutes, and shoot at a high level. Dix will need to find a way to make his jumper matter again, but with the roster wounded, OKC will keep giving him chances to prove he belongs.
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