Being a second ahead of the pass, Nikola Topic disrupted Philly’s passing lane and caused another steal. He then grabbed the ball and threw up an underhanded lob pass to Hason Ward. The fastbreak alley-oop was a rare highlight in a game that’ll be easy to forget by the morning.
Topic finished with 11 points on 2-of-13 shooting, five assists and three rebounds. He shot 0-of-6 from 3 and went 7-of-8 on free throws. He also had three steals.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder collected an ugly 89-78 Summer League win over the Philadelphia 76ers. It was an ugly contest even for exhibition standards, as 72 free-throw attempts in 40 minutes ruined any flow.
This is a stereotypical game where the box score doesn’t reflect the performance. While the jumper didn’t fall, Topic had command of the Thunder’s offense with the ball in his hands. He set his teammates up with plenty of good looks, but couldn’t cash in on the looks.
While the halfcourt offense has looked muddy, Topic has proven to be a real transition initiator. He can body through multiple defenders or find an open teammate. Those possessions should excite the Thunder, considering they could be a real regular-season fixture. Especially his alley-oop passes.
Lastly, the free-throw numbers are what should be the biggest takeaway here. While it was on a lenient whistle, Topic managed to get to the line at a high rate. The Thunder should understand just how much that skill boosts your scoring with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. Until the jumper develops, that’s his best bet to score at the NBA level.
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“Just to get into game rhythm. Play back-to-backs, play two games in two days, play six games in 10 days,” Topic said on his Summer League goals. “Just get into game rhythm and game shape.”
That seems fair. Topic has been out for over a year. He partially tore his ACL in May 2024. That helped the Thunder land him with the No. 12 pick of the 2024 NBA draft after being mocked as a possible top-five selection. OKC usually sits its blue-chip prospects after Utah to avoid Las Vegas. But it sounds like the 19-year-old might play the full two weeks.
After being sidelined all season, Topic talked about being in a unique position to watch the Thunder go on a championship run. He became the first player in NBA history who collected a ring before he even suited up for his team.
“It was weird, but it was really cool to be around those guys. Just being able to watch them was really great. Obviously, winning a championship was even better,” Topic said. “It was hard, but everybody was there for me. I could talk to anybody. Chet was there. He obviously went through the same thing.”
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Nikola Topic reveals 2025 Summer League goals