Nikola Topics Return Comes With One Early Concern For OKC Fans

Nikola Topic's early exit highlights OKC Blue's ongoing struggles as they suffer a third straight loss against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

The OKC Blue never got much traction Tuesday, and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers made sure of it in a 93-76 road win that left OKC at 0-3 in the 2026-27 G League regular season.

The Blue were chasing almost immediately. They were down 27-17 after the first quarter, and even with Nikola Topic running the offense as an NBA-talented playmaker, the shots never really started falling. OKC managed just 22 points in the second quarter, which sent it into halftime trailing 56-39.

Topic did not return after the break, which appears to be part of his ramp-up plan as he comes back from offseason back surgery. The second half followed the same script. The Blue put up 21 points in the third quarter and were stuck in a 75-60 hole by then.

There were a few brief pushes from OKC, enough to hint at a possible comeback, but nothing ever got serious. The Blue spent most of the afternoon in double-digit trouble, then scored only 16 points in the fourth quarter and fell behind by as many as 21. Even a one-third-filled crowd of school children couldn’t give them the spark they needed.

The numbers told the story. OKC shot 39% from the field, hit 6-of-32 from 3-point range and went 1-of-6 at the free-throw line. The Blue finished with 15 assists on 34 baskets, and only two players reached double figures.

Rio Grande Valley wasn’t exactly lighting it up from deep either, but the Vipers were steadier across the board. They shot 41% overall, went 5-of-35 from 3 and made 8-of-12 free throws. Their ball movement stood out most, with 28 assists on 37 baskets, and four players finished in double figures.

In Other News...

Thunder Still Face One Hurdle In The All-Star Host Race

With the NBA closing in on Miami as the 2028 All-Star Game host, the leagues next round of bidding is already drawing attention from cities that have been waiting a long time for another turn. Boston, Detroit, Portland and Oklahoma City all fit into that conversation for different reasons, with each market carrying some combination of history, recent upgrades and the kind of arena-and-event logistics the league weighs when it sorts through future weekends.

For Oklahoma City, the interest is obvious. The city has built a strong case as a basketball market, and its place in the All-Star discussion reflects how much the Thunder and the downtown arena have changed the leagues view of the market over time. Still, the path is not simple, and the final decision will depend on more than just enthusiasm or past success. Several factors can tilt the process one way or another, and the Thunders push to land a future All-Star weekend is still working through one important hurdle. [Read more 🡒]

Thunder Hot Start Sets Up A Bigger Western Conference Test

After working through the early injury issues, the Thunder have steadied themselves quickly and now sit at 8-2, right where a contender wants to be in the opening stretch of the season. It has been enough to keep Oklahoma City in the mix near the top of the Western Conference, with the Lakers and Spurs also off to strong starts and making the race feel crowded already.

For the Thunder, the bigger picture still points beyond the first few weeks. Their playoff positioning figures to keep shifting as the season settles in, and the roster should look different again once Chet Holmgren is back in the fold. Until then, Oklahoma City is doing what good teams do early: banking wins, staying relevant and giving itself a chance to climb even higher when the West starts to sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]

Thunder Face An Early Test With Injuries Piling Up

The Thunder open their 2026-27 regular season matchup with Portland on Tuesday carrying an injury list that already asks plenty of questions of the rotation. Oklahoma City is trying to sort through a patchwork lineup for a game that also comes with the usual early-season uncertainty, as the article lays out probable starters, viewing information and the betting angle around a meeting between two teams already dealing with multiple absences.

Portland brings its own injury concerns into the first head-to-head of the year, but the bigger issue for Oklahoma City is simply getting through the night with enough stability to set a tone. The game has the feel of an early test of depth and adaptability, with both teams on the first night of a road back-to-back and the Thunder still waiting to see how their available pieces fit together when the ball goes up. [Read more 🡒]