Helping Bennett Stirtz
beat the double team, Payton Sandfort
quickly knocked down the right-wing outside jumper. The third-quarter buzzer-beater showed just how much of a groove he was in. Of the entire Summer League roster, the 23-year-old has had the best start. Quite the irony, too — considering his contract status.
The Oklahoma City Thunder
blew a 20-point lead in their 82-77 Summer League loss
to the Atlanta Hawks
. That said, the results of the game don't really matter. Instead, individual performances are what the two weeks are about. Even from your non-top draft picks.
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Sandfort finished with 25 points on 6-of-10 shooting, four rebounds and two assists. He shot 4-of-6 from 3 and went 4-of-4 on free throws.
It was all buckets for Sandfort. Consistently throughout the entire game, too. He got things started with 11 points in the first quarter. Through three frames, he scored 20 points in 15 minutes on seven shot attempts. That's Gilgeous-Alexander-esque scoring efficiency from him.
As OKC's top scorer, Sandfort had no problem lighting it up. He had a quick outside jumper that barely needed any space or time. He played with the greenest light possible. The rest of his teammates were in the mud on offense, but he thrived. Even with the Thunder blowing a 20-point lead, he had nothing to be ashamed about from an individual level.
In a game where scoring was at a premium, Sandfort was an escape valve the Thunder leaned on. He was en fuego from the moment he checked in. Not only was it on the outside jumpers, but he also finished around the rim and drew contact to get to the free-throw line. When he's that unconscious, he cosplays as a couple of multi-time NBA champions.
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"I grew up a huge Spurs fan. I wanted to be Mani Ginobili in the worst way. I wore 20 my whole life," Sandfort said. "When Klay
came around, I was a huge Klay Thompson fan today. I told myself before the game that I was Klay Thompson. Sometimes I do that. Kyle Korver
is from Iowa. He was my hero when I was a kid. He was a lot of fun to watch."
Sandfort has the best story on the Thunder. After he lost his two-way spot, he could've easily sulked and gone elsewhere. Instead, he kept his head down and used it as a chip on his shoulder. Heck, he's outplayed all three of OKC's two-way guys so far. Amazing what having a healthy offseason does for you after he missed last summer with two shoulder surgeries. If he keeps this up, someone will surely get him a two-way deal.
"Everybody gets a normal predraft. After my junior year in Iowa, I was going to go out and go in the draft. Ripped my shoulder in front of all the teams at the combine. Went back for my senior year and was hurt for the whole year. I know I had 15-16 dislocations. Didn't practice. Just played games," Sandfort said. "Didn't have the best year. Had surgery on both of my shoulders and it was miserable. I got to spend a lot of time at home with my family while everybody else was getting better. Kinda reset. Got into the season. Had a hernia surgery in the G League after playing 40 total minutes. Came back in the middle of January and the Blue were an unbelievable spot for me. Got so much better. Learned a lot about this system and the NBA."
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire:
Overcoming injuries, Payton Sandfort has been lights out in Summer League
