The final day of NBA Summer League is here, with three games of action to wrap up the time in Las Vegas. Tipping off at 4:30 p.m. ET to start today’s action, the Brooklyn Nets will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is a consolation matchup with neither side in play for a chance at the championship.
DraftKings Sportsbook is offering odds for all the summer league matchups, including some player prop and team prop options, depending on your location.
Looking at the odds for today’s matchup, the Nets enter as 4.5-point favorites with -166 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Thunder are +140 underdogs, with the game total set at 186.5 points.
Nets vs. Thunder preview, prediction
The Brooklyn Nets enter with a 2-2 record in summer league. They kicked off their Las Vegas tenure with a 91-65 victory over the Knicks. Brooklyn led for 77% of the matchup and limited the Knicks to 28% shooting from the field and 23% from beyond the three-point arc. The Nets lost to the Hawks 83-76 the next day, despite holding a lead for 81% of the game. Turnovers were a key issue, and Brooklyn shot just 2-for-24 (8%) from beyond the three-point arc. Brooklyn then produced a 115-83 win over the Kings, in which its offense found its stride again in the blowout win, where it controlled for 96% of the matchup. Most recently, the Nets lost to the Houston Rockets 100-83. Houston held a lead for 83% of the matchup, and the Nets shot just 35% from the field and 23% from beyond the three-point arc in the disappointing effort.
As the organization continues on its rebuild, the Nets have multiple young talents that are making their case for being too good for summer league. Last year’s eighth overall pick, Egor Demin, leads the team with 21.0 points, 4.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. This year’s sixth overall pick, Mikel Brown Jr., adds 16.7 points and 4.0 assists per game. While he does not carry as much pedigree or security within the organization, two-way forward Chaney Johnson may have done the best for his individual outlook in summer league, adding 13.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Danny Wolf is the lone other player to average in double figures with 11.8 points and 5.8 rebounds, while Ben Saraf, Joshua Jefferson, Drake Powell and Tyler Bilodeau have each also had some notable flashes. Keep an eye on final rosters today as the Nets weigh the pros and cons of shutting down a few names with little at stake in this matchup and plenty of takeaways already secured from the previous action.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are still searching for their first summer league victory, going 0-4 in Las Vegas and 0-3 in Salt Lake City before this. They have lost by an average of 18 points per game. The Thunder opened up Las Vegas action with a 96-84 loss to the Lakers. Los Angeles stretched the lead to as many as 20 and held control for 87% of the matchup. Oklahoma City then lost 104-79 to the Golden State Warriors, in which it trailed for 89% of the matchup, and it fell 106-103 to the Nuggets in the following game. Even with the final score being the most encouraging, the Thunder never had a lead in this matchup, and the Nuggets extended their advantage to as many as 13. Most recently, the Thunder fell 97-87 to the Mavericks, when Dallas led for 75% of the matchup.
No. 16 overall pick Bennett Stirtz headlines the production with 17.7 points and 3.3 assists per game. Payton Sandfort adds 13.0 points and 3.8 rebounds, while Brooks Barnhizer is the lone other player to average in double figures with 12.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. No. 12 overall pick Aday Mara has had some positive flashes with 8.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, while Josh Dix and Buddy Boeheim have also opened some eyes. Oklahoma City will also consider shutting down some of its top talent, especially given the frustrating results to this point.
Nets vs. Thunder pick, best bet
Sometimes motivation is what matters most in this type of basketball setting, and this advantage favors the Nets in a major way. Brooklyn is still establishing its long-term foundation for success, and several players making their case are on this summer league roster for why they deserve to be a part of this. While this is not as important as the true NBA matchups, these are important opportunities for each young talent to show what they can do. In contrast, the Thunder have their core established and are only evaluating a few rotational spots as they attempt to return to their championship aspirations next year.
Not only have the Thunder gone winless across their seven summer league opportunities, but they have looked largely uncompetitive in these matchups. Their average margin of loss, including the Salt Lake City matchups, is 18 points per game, which is a bit stunning and makes it difficult to have any belief in the Thunder today. While there is more talent on the roster than their winless record shows, this is not a matchup where I expect things to change.
Count on the Nets to bring a higher level of focus and competitiveness in this matchup and set the tone in this game. Even if Brooklyn elects to sit a few key players, it has a summer league roster advantage when it comes to both top-end talent and depth. The Nets have multiple ball-handlers and capable shooters, though they have not connected at their expected rate. Oklahoma City has failed to assert itself defensively at nearly the necessary rate, and expect this to open the door for a strong offensive showing by the Nets. Back Brooklyn to be prepared to bring its best effort while the Thunder limp through the summer league finish line, and for the Nets to cover the 4.5-point spread tonight.
