On July 6, Oklahoma City played its second Summer League contest, falling 82-77 against the Atlanta Hawks .
Despite taking a 20-point lead in the first half, a 19-point, 15-rebound performance from rookie big man Zuby Ejiofor led the Hawks to a comeback victory.
OKC 's three draft picks struggled from the field, with Aday Mara shooting 3-of-9, Bennett Stirtz shooting 4-of-14 and Otega Oweh shooting 1-of-7. Second-year wing Payton Sandfort was the Thunder's star, scoring 25 points while shooting 6-of-10 from the field, 4-of-6 from 3-point range and 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
Alongside Sandfort, another second-year player turned in a strong showing off the bench for Oklahoma City.
Anthony Pritchard tallied 9 points, 4 rebounds, an assist and a steal while shooting 4-of-5 from the field and 1-of-3 from the free throw line in 19 minutes on the court. Pritchard operated well as a floor general, including a nice drive and dish to undrafted rookie Christoph Tilly for an open dunk.
The second-year undrafted free agent also logged a solid drive and finish at the basket, followed by a cut to the hoop and layup through contact that drew a free throw on the next possesion.
Against the Memphis Grizzlies on July 4, Pritchard recorded 4 points, an assist and a steal, which featured an impressive drive and lob to Mara.
Pritchard is originally from Tulsa, where he starred at Webster High School before going on to play at the University of Tulsa for two seasons.
The 6-foot-2 guard finished his college career with two years at Central Michigan, averaging 13.1 points, 5.5 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 43.2% from the field and 33.8% from 3-point range as a senior.
Following his college career, Pritchard joined the Thunder organization as an undrafted free agent, spending his rookie season with the OKC Blue. The 23-year-old averaged 12.5 points, 6 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 54.9% from the field and 27.3% from beyond the arc in 25 games.
Pritchard has a chance to earn a spot in the NBA as a two-way player or depth guard, especially if he can improve as a perimeter shooter. Even if the Tulsa native doesn't reach the NBA, he can still be a valuable piece for Oklahoma City's G Leauge team.
The Blue is an important piece of the Thunder's system, and having players on the roster who can run the team's system is crucial to help young prospects develop.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/thunder/onsi as Tulsa Native Turns in Strong Summer League Performance for OKC Thunder .
