Keldon Johnson #0 of the San Antonio Spurs drives on Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half of a preseason game at Frost Bank Center on October 7, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas. Photo: Ronald Cortes / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
The Oklahoma City Thunder opened up their preseason with a victory. The Thunder topped the San Antonio Spurs 112-to-107. Ajay Mitchell led the Thunder with 19 points. Jalen Williams added 18 points and Dillon Jones had 17 in the win. The Thunder are back in action Wednesday night when they host the Houston Rockets.
THUNDER POSTGAME QUOTES
Thunder Head Coach Mark Daigneault
(On the team's strategy for creating scoring opportunities…)
“It's just the fundamentals. We had good moments and areas to improve. It's a great starting point. We'll work on it tomorrow. San Antonio switched a lot. We could have improved on switch attacks. They played with great pace."
(On the performances of AJ Mitchell and Dillon Jones…)
"The best part about those two guys tonight is they were really confident. They went out there and they seemed to have clear heads. We don’t want overthinking have them overthinking this early on. Their confidence was really high. With that said, their execution was a c. It wasn’t great, nor should it be this early on. You saw two guys go out there and really compete and play with confidence and try to do the right thing. That’s all we can ask for right now. It’s a matter of them learning some of the things that they need to learn in order to round out their game. But it’s obviously very early."
Thunder Center Isaiah Hartenstein
(On what it feels like to go up against another team…)
“It feels real nice. Not having to defend Chet [Holmgren] everyday again was a breath of fresh air. Just getting out there was the first real test together. It was good though. There’s a lot of things we can work on, but I think it was a good first step.”
(On if he was impressed with how the team moved the ball offensively…)
“I think we moved the ball really well. I think we were playing off each other which made our lives easier. I think that’s the main thing, especially in the NBA. When you move the ball, move bodies, it makes your life a lot easier. It was a good game of just sharing the ball, but also keeping the turnovers low.”
Thunder Guard Cason Wallace
(On the team’s defense…)
“We put in a lot of work in the summer, about defense; being in help, being a good low man, as well as bumping people out. It just goes to show how competitive we are at the same time we don’t want to get scored on, and that is what it takes.”
(On how the rookies played…)
“They got after it, Ajay [Mitchell] basically got everything he wanted. Dillon [Jones] was playing inside the system and getting good looks for himself, too. But, not only for themselves, but they were also making plays for others, crashing the glass, playing defense. I feel like they put together a good game.”