The Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2026 NBA Summer League ended the same way much of it went: with a loss and a long look at what still needs to come together.
OKC dropped its finale to the Brooklyn Nets, 108-90, on Sunday and finished the event 0-8 overall, including 0-5 in Las Vegas. Brooklyn had seven players score in double figures, while the Thunder got there from just four.
Still, the final box score had one clear bright spot for Oklahoma City. Steven Ashworth led the way with 22 points on 5-for-9 shooting, giving the Thunder a much-needed lift in a game where several of their top summer scoring options were out.
Ashworth had been averaging 7.2 points per game on 37.5% shooting before Sunday, but he saved his best showing for the end. The former Creighton guard handled point guard duties in the finale and gave Oklahoma City steadier offense with his ball-handling and shot-making.
The 6-foot-1 guard spent last season in the Indiana Pacers organization, where he averaged 11.6 points and 5.9 assists per game for the G League’s Noblesville Boom. He also played for the Pacers’ NBA Summer League team in 2025.
Oklahoma City’s biggest problem came early. Brooklyn turned up the pressure with a heavy full-court press, and the Thunder coughed it up 19 times as a team. A lot of those mistakes came right away, and the Nets made them pay with quick fast-break baskets.
That early stretch put OKC in a deep hole, with Brooklyn jumping ahead 29-8 and never really letting the lead slip away despite a few Thunder pushbacks. The Thunder eventually settled in against the pressure, but by then the margin was too much to erase.
The roster situation also mattered. Oklahoma City was without all three of its 2026 draft selections, last year’s draft pick and its two top two-way contract candidates, so the short-handed lineup was always going to have a tough time keeping pace.
Along with Ashworth’s 22, Jabri Abdur-Rahim scored 17, Andrew Holifield added 14 and Bryce Harris finished with 13. Lamar Wilkerson was next with six points on 3-for-16 shooting.
Even without a win, the Thunder did leave summer league with some individual growth to point to.
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