OKC Thunder Flip Second-Quarter Switch, Rout Pacers 104-85 in Early Finals Rematch

The Oklahoma City Thunder racked up 38 second-quarter points and took down the Indiana Pacers, 104-85, in its second Las Vegas Summer League game. The Thunder picked up 28 assists and 14 steals in the NBA Finals rematch to stay undefeated.

Oklahoma City shot 13-for-17 and made six triples in the second quarter. It scored 31 third-quarter points on 12-for-21 shooting, taking every attempt from the paint and 3-point territory. The Thunder destroyed the Pacers in paint points (52-38) and points off turnovers (32-12).

Chris Youngblood finished with a game-high 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting, including five threes, and a game-high +38 plus-minus in 22 minutes. He added three assists, two rebounds (one offensive) and a steal.

Brooks Barnhizer tallied 17 points on 8-for-10 shooting, six steals, five rebounds, two assists, a block and a +25 plus-minus in 25 minutes. Malevy Leons registered 16 points on 10 shots, 10 rebounds (six offensive), two assists, two steals and a +28 plus-minus in 21 minutes.

Nikola Topic recorded seven points, a game-high 10 assists and two steals in 22 minutes. Ajay Mitchell contributed 13 points, seven assists, six rebounds and a steal in 25 minutes but has now committed 13 turnovers in his last two appearances.

The Thunder started Topic, Mitchell, Youngblood, Barnhizer and Leons for the second straight game.

The Pacers started RayJ Dennis, Kam Jones, Johnny Furphy, Enrique Freeman and Phillip Wheeler.

The Thunder missed 11 of its first 12 shots and committed three turnovers within six minutes. Jazian Gortman provided juice with a running floater and fadeaway jumper, though not before the Pacers established a nine-point lead on Taelon Peter's 28-foot left wing-triple. Furphy executed a behind-the-back dribble and driving flush by Cameron Brown to highlight the early action.

Oklahoma City scored on three of four possessions to close the first quarter, with Topic finding Hason Ward and Youngblood for layups before making an uncontested transition attempt of his own shortly after checking back in. It trailed Indiana, 16-14, after the opening 10 minutes.

Barnhizer swished his second post jumper and drilled an open 3-pointer from Topic to start the second frame, a sign of things to come — the Thunder converted its first nine shot attempts from five different players after the break. Ty Brewer banked in a top-of-the-key triple to end that run, with Oklahoma City leading 39-24.

The Thunder scored nine points in the last two minutes entering halftime, started by Leons cleaning up a missed Mitchell corner triple. Youngblood splashed his second three and Barnhizer put in a cutting layup from Leons with 0.1 seconds left. The second-rounder out of Northwestern made all six first-half shots. The Thunder held a 52-38 advantage after two quarters.

Leons recorded an and-one layup, steal-and-finish and cutting slam in the first three third-quarter minutes, pushing Oklahoma City's lead to 22 points. The Thunder then punished the Pacers with more early offense, as another Youngblood 3-pointer and Barnhizer layup stretched the margin to 25.

Topic bottomed a pull-up triple before Indiana rattled off 12 straight points, with five each from Peter and Robert Baker. Mitchell made a fast-break layup on Topic's ninth assist to help the Thunder regain stability. It led 83-64 with one quarter to go.

Oklahoma City takes on No. 25 pick Jase Richardson and the Orlando Magic this Tuesday, July 15 at 5:30 p.m. CST.