The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Wednesday that two-way player Olivier Sarr suffered a left Achilles tendon rupture in the OKC Blue’s win over the Maine Celtics on Monday to capture the G League championship.
A timeline for Sarr’s return will be provided in the ensuing months.
It’s a tough break for Sarr, who’s been with the Thunder for the last three seasons as a two-way center. He played a pivotal role in the Blue’s title run as a rebounding big.
Considering how serious the injury is, Sarr will spend the next several months rehabbing it and hoping to continue his NBA career. The 25-year-old went undrafted in 2021 out of Kentucky.
In 15 games with the Thunder this season, Sarr averaged 2.3 points and 2.4 rebounds.
Thunder recall Ousmane Dieng, Lindy Waters III following G League championship.
The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Tuesday that they have recalled Ousmane Dieng and Lindy Waters III from the G League’s OKC Blue.
This comes a day after the Blue captured the 2024 G League championship in a decisive win over the Maine Celtics in the G League Finals.
Dieng received G League Finals MVP after he scored 25 points and grabbed six rebounds in the Game 3 win. Waters III totaled 15 points and 11 rebounds.
The second-year wing spent a significant amount of time with the Blue this season. The 20-year-old relished in the on-ball opportunities as the Blue’s best player. He continues to be a developmental project for the Thunder.
The first-seeded Thunder awaits their first-round opponent after the play-in tournament concludes on Friday. Game 1 at OKC will be held on Sunday, April 21.
Recap: OKC Blue’s 117-100 win over Maine Celtics clinches 2024 G League championship.
The OKC Blue dominated in their 117-100 win over the Maine Celtics on Monday to win the 2024 G League Finals. The decisive Game 3 road win awarded the Blue the G League championship. Ousmane Dieng won the G League Finals MVP.
After the first quarter, the Blue built a 29-22 lead over the Celtics. A 34-point second frame capped off by a 21-0 run to close out the period helped OKC enter halftime with a commanding 63-40 advantage.
The Blue continued their momentum at the start of the second half with the first seven points for a game-changing 28-0 run that ballooned a 70-40 lead in the early stages of the third quarter.
The Celtics made some noise, cutting OKC’s lead to as little as 16 points, but the Blue tallied 29 points in the third quarter to enter the fourth frame with a 92-67 lead.
The Celtics made some noise with a 33-point fourth quarter, but not enough time was left for a serious comeback attempt.
The Blue shot 49% from the field and went 13-of-31 (41.9%) from 3. They went 12-of-14 from the free-throw line. They dished out 20 assists on 41 baskets. Six Blue players scored double-digit points.
Meanwhile, the Celtics shot 43% from the field and went 11-of-39 (28.2%) from 3. They went 5-of-8 from the free-throw line. They had 25 assists on 40 baskets. Four Celtics players scored double-digit points.
Some notable individual performances from both sides:
Ousmane Dieng: 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting, 5-of-6 from 3, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks.
Lindy Waters III: 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting, 2-of-5 from 3, 11 rebounds
Keyontae Johnson: 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting, four rebounds, two assists
Olivier Sarr: 10 points on 2-of-6 shooting, 13 rebounds, two assists, two blocks
Jahmi’us Ramsey: 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting, 2-of-3 from 3, four rebounds
JD Davison: 22 points on 9-of-19 shooting, 2-of-4 from 3, 10 assists, four rebounds, four steals
Drew Peterson: 13 points on 6-of-15 shooting, 1-of-7 from 3, eight rebounds, eight assists
The full highlights from the Blue’s 17-point win over the Boston Celtics’ G League affiliate to clinch the championship can be watched below:
It is the first-ever shot at a title for the Boston Celtics’ developmental affiliate, with the best-of-three series currently knotted up at one game each.
The Maine Celtics will take on the Oklahoma City Blue for the 2024 G League Championship on this Monday (April 13) night. It is the first-ever shot at a title for the Boston Celtics’ developmental affiliate, with the best-of-three series currently knotted up at one game each for Maine and the Oklahoma City Thunder G League squad.
How did they get here? How good are they, and how do G League playoffs work? What are games in Portland like in the regular and postseason? And how is the synergy between Boston and Maine in terms of developing players and winning games?
The hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast recently sat down with Celtics Blog’s Noa Dalzell to get all the details you need to know about what might be G League Banner No. 1 for Maine.
Thunder assign Lindy Waters III to OKC Blue amid 2024 G League Finals.
The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Thursday that they have assigned Lindy Waters III to the G League’s OKC Blue.
This has been a common occurrence for Waters III, who was signed to a standard deal after starting the season in a two-way roster slot. The move gives the 26-year-old a chance to get consistent playing time.
Waters III is in his third season with the Thunder, mostly on two-way deals. In 36 games this season, he has averaged 3.3 points.
The Blue are in the 2024 G League Finals against the Maine Celtics. The Celtics are currently up 1-0 in the best-of-three series. Game 2 is set to be played on Thursday, April 11 at Paycom Center.
The 26-year-old should help the Blue’s odds of tying the series at one apiece. He’s averaged 21.8 points on 48% shooting in 12 G League games this season.
Recap: OKC Blue suffers 106-86 loss to Maine Celtics in G League Finals Game 1.
The OKC Blue suffered a 106-86 loss to the Maine Celtics in Game 1 of the 2024 G League Finals on Monday. The road loss puts the Blue in a 0-1 hole in the best-of-three series.
The Blue will hope to even the series at one apiece when it hosts Game 2 on Thursday, April 11 at Paycom Center in OKC.
The Blue had a slow start as they trailed 33-14 after the first quarter. A 28-point second frame didn’t move the needle much as OKC entered halftime with a 59-42 deficit.
A 25-point third frame by the Celtics pushed their lead to 84-61 entering the fourth quarter. The final frame was inconsequential as OKC tallied 25 points.
The Blue shot 35% from the field and went 12-of-45 (26.7%) from 3. They had 22 assists on 34 baskets. Only two Blue players scored double-digit points.
Meanwhile, the Celtics shot 48% from the field and went 12-of-35 (34.3%) from 3. They had 28 assists on 43 baskets. Four Celtics players scored double-digit points.
Some notable individual performances from both sides:
Ousmane Dieng: 15 points on 6-of-17 shooting, 3-of-8 from 3, four assists, three rebounds
Jaden Shackelford: 21 points on 8-of-19 shooting, 5-of-13 from 3, four assists, three rebounds
Olivier Sarr: nine points on 3-of-10 shooting, 1-of-5 from 3, 12 rebounds
JD Davison: 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting, 4-of-8 from 3, 12 assists, four rebounds
Neemias Queta: 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting, 13 rebounds, three blocks
Drew Peterson: 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting, 2-of-6 from 3, 11 rebounds, five assists, three steals
Jordan Walsh: 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting, 3-of-4 from 3, six rebounds, three steals
The full highlights from the Blue’s 20-point loss to the Boston Celtics’ G League affiliate can be watched below:
Maine will face off with the Oklahoma City Blue in a best-of-three-series.
It is not just the Boston Celtics who are gearing up for a run at a title this month, with the Boston-based ball club’s G League affiliate up in Portland having advanced to the G League Finals. The Maine Celtics just finished beating the Long Island Nets (the G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets) to earn a spot in their league’s finals for the 2023-24 season.
In it, Maine will face off with the Oklahoma City Blue, the developmental affiliates of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the G League. It has rarely been the case that the ball clubs with such good records at the NBA level have met in the G league postseason. So, this new wrinkle will add a bit of extra sauce to an already intriguing matchup.
The folks behind the “News Center Maine” YouTube channel recently ran a short on the looming three-game series. Check it out in the clip embedded below for details.
Recap: OKC Blue advances to 2024 G League Finals in 114-107 win over Stockton Kings.
The OKC Blue collected a 114-107 win over the Stockton Kings in the Western Conference finals. The playoff road win advanced the Blue to the 2024 G League Finals.
The Blue will face the Maine Celtics in a best-of-three series to determine the G League champions. Maine will have the homecourt advantage.
The Blue suffered a slow start; the Kings built a 27-16 lead in the first quarter. OKC trailed by as many as 15 points in the opening frame.
A switch flipped for the Blue in the second quarter. They outscored the Kings, 42-18, to enter halftime with a 58-45 lead. The teams scored 29 points apiece in the third frame.
The Blue built an 18-point lead in the second half and the Kings utilized a 33-point final frame to draw as close as five points, but they couldn’t get over the hump.
The Blue shot 47% from the field and went 13-of-33 (39.4%) from 3. They dished 19 assists on 40 baskets. Four Blue players scored double-digit points.
Meanwhile, the Kings shot 45% from the field and went 10-of-36 (27.8%) from 3. They collected 23 assists on 37 baskets. Four Kings players scored double-digit points.
Some notable individual performances from both sides:
Ousmane Dieng: 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting, 13 rebounds, four assists, three steals
Adam Flagler: 21 points on 6-of-15 shooting, 5-of-11 from 3, five assists
Jahmi’us Ramsey: 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting, seven rebounds, three assists
Keyontae Johnson: 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, four rebounds
Jalen Slawson: 26 points on 6-of-13 shooting, 2-of-4 from 3, 8-of-10 on free throws, four assists, four blocks, three steals
Stanley Johnson: 30 points on 11-of-23 shooting, 5-of-11 from 3, six rebounds, four assists, four steals
Deonte Burton: 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting, 1-of-7 from 3, three assists
The full highlights from the Blue’s seven-point win over the Kings can be watched below:
Recap: OKC Blue advance to WCF with 111-93 playoff win over Sioux Falls Skyforce.
The OKC Blue collected a 111-93 win over the Sioux Falls Skyforce on Friday. The G League playoff road win advances the Blue to the Western Conference final.
The Blue will travel to face the Stockton Kings on Sunday, April 7 in the conference final.
After trailing 25-23 following the first quarter, the Blue utilized a 32-point second frame to enter halftime with a 55-49 lead. The Skyforce clawed back into the contest behind a 26-point third frame. OKC’s lead was cut to 77-75 after three quarters.
The Sky Force kept it close in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, but a decisive 14-0 run by the Blue gave them an overwhelming 17-point lead with under four minutes left. OKC coasted through the final minutes for the double-digit win.
The Blue shot 48% from the field and went 9-of-29 (31%) from 3. They had 30 assists on 39 baskets. Six Blue players scored double-digit points.
Meanwhile, the Sky Force were limited to 36% shooting and went 11-of-36 (30.6%) from 3. They had 18 assists on 33 baskets. Only four Sky Force players scored double-digit points.
Some notable individual performances from both sides:
Olivier Sarr: 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting, 2-of-4 from 3, 11 rebounds, six assists, five blocks
Adam Flagler: 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, 3-of-9 from 3, six rebounds, four assists, three steals
Keyontae Johnson: 18 points on 9-of-13 shooting, two rebounds, two assists
Ousmane Dieng: two points on 1-of-10 shooting, seven rebounds, seven assists
Hunter Maldonado: 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting, six rebounds, five assists
Alondes Williams: 24 points on 7-of-25 shooting, 2-of-12 from 3, eight assists, five rebounds
Cole Swider: 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting, 6-of-9 from 3, nine rebounds
Josh Christopher: 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting, six rebounds, three steals
The full highlights from the Blue’s 18-point win over the Miami Heat’s G League affiliate can be watched below:
