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With a few games under his belt, Oklahoma City Thunder prospect Nikola Topic is adapting to an NBA regimen, including back-to-back games, which is something he’s getting used to.
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Topic’s summer league debut with the Thunder started in Utah before heading over to Las Vegas for Thursday’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. Nikola turned in his best performance, thus far, leading Oklahoma City to a 90-81 win.
He finished with 19 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals. After the win, Topic revealed that playing back-to-backs is something he’s going to get used to as he develops into an NBA point guard.
“I feel good now. It was a little bit rough at the beginning, especially at the back-to-back. It was pretty weird that I had to play back-to-back games,” Topic said. “I don’t know, it was weird. I didn’t know what to do; sleep, take a nap. It was really weird, but I’m getting used to it.”
The Thunder ended their slate of games in Utah with a back-to-back set, starting with an 89-78 win against the Philadelphia 76ers that ended with an 86-82 loss to the Utah Jazz.
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Topic bounced back from a subpar performance, finishing with seven points on 3-of-12 shooting, including 0-of-5 from deep, two steals, and eight turnovers against the Jazz. He also finished with 11 points on 2-of-13, 7-of-8 free throws, five assists, and three steals versus the 76ers.
Nikola Topic makes his Thunder Summer League debut
Nathan J. Fish-USA TODAY Sports
After missing 2024-25 due to a torn ACL, Thunder rookie Nikola Topic got his first taste of summer league in Utah. It’s the moment Topic spent all season waiting for, playing competitive basketball once again after winning an NBA championship with the Thunder.
For Thunder Summer League head coach Daniel Dixon, it’s the opportunity he’s happy to see Topic in after making a full recovery from his torn left ACL injury.
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“Really excited for him. Just for him to be back on the floor. Being part of his process in terms of him getting back on the court, he’s put in a ton of work,” Dixon said about Topic. “He’s a really young player, really excited for him to build his baseline as a player. I thought today, he did a really good job at just coming out and letting the game tell him what to do.”
Topic and the Thunder will face the Nets on Saturday as their Summer League play in Las Vegas continues.
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