Chris Paul joked with Dort during the game that the late Kobe Bryant would have been proud after finishing with 23 points and no assists.
Luguentz Dort entered Wednesday with just seven 3-pointers this season.
By the end of the night, the Oklahoma City Thunder two-way rookie caught fire and drained five triples en route to a career-high 23 points in a 120-100 win over the Sacramento Kings.
Dort finished 5-of-6 from behind the arc in his sixth consecutive start, becoming just fourth rookie in franchise history to make at five 3-pointers in a game, per The Oklahoman.
Afterward, Chris Paul jokingly said to reporters that he told Dort during the game that the late Kobe Bryant likely would have been proud of him.
“I actually told Dort toward the end of the game that Kob probably would have been proud of him because he had 23 points and no assists,” Paul said. “Kob was all about being aggressive and staying aggressive.”
Dort has been primarily in the G League this season with the OKC Blue but has been with the Thunder over their last seven games. He is averaging 9.5 points and two rebounds as a starter and previously drew praise from Paul after setting a then-career-high 10 points on Saturday.
The undrafted rookie from Arizona State has played well since entering the starting lineup and is making a strong case to claim the team’s final roster spot. The Thunder can convert his two-way contract to a standard NBA deal but may wait until his 45-day service time is exhausted.
In any case, Dort is proving to be a steal as an undrafted rookie.
The undrafted rookie left teammate Chris Paul impressed after scoring a career-high 10 points on Saturday night.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Luguentz Dort scored a career-high 10 points Saturday night during a 113-104 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves for their ninth win over their last 10 games on the road.
The two-way rookie finished by shooting 3-of-5 from the field, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, in his fourth start of the season. Dort also added two rebounds, two steals and one assist in 30 minutes of work.
Dort has been primarily in the G League this season with the OKC Blue but has been with the Thunder over their last five games. He is averaging 7.2 points over that stretch.
While Dort is a rookie, after all, teammate Chris Paul isn’t buying it.
“Lu Dort, you can’t tell me that he’s a rookie,” Paul said.
Dort has played well for the Thunder in each of his stints with the team and continues to be a bright spot for the team. The former Arizona State product was believed to be a second-round pick but many believe he has been steal after going undrafted in June.
The Thunder return to action on Monday vs. the Dallas Mavericks.
Personal reasons also kept Ferguson out of Monday night’s win over the Houston Rockets.
The Thunder have not given any additional information as to what the personal reasons might be.
Prior to Monday, Ferguson was sidelined on Saturday night against the Trail Blazers with an illness. He also missed the second half of Friday’s loss to the Heat due to illness.
Luguentz Dort got his first start against the Rockets in place of Ferguson.
Dort dazzled defensively against arguably the best scorer in the NBA in James Harden, limiting The Beard to just 9-of-29 from the fielding, including a historically bad 1-of-17 from beyond the arc.
Billy Donovan has not given any indication about whether or not Dort will get the starting nod again tonight in Orlando.
Oklahoma City will look to sweep the regular-season series against the Magic on Wednesday night. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CT.
The former MVP scored 29 points in a loss to the Thunder on Monday night but needed 29 shots to reach that mark.
Oklahoma City Thunder two-way player Luguentz Dort drew the task of having to guard James Harden on Monday night and the rookie exceeded expectations by a longshot.
Of course, trying to stop the former MVP is no easy feat in itself but Dort made Harden work for his points in the 112-107 victory on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Harden still finished with 29 points but needed 29 shots to in order to reach that mark and shot just 9-of-29 from the field, including 1-of-17 from 3-point range. His display from beyond the arc tied his own record for the most missed 3-point attempts in a single game.
By contrast, Dort recorded eight points and two rebounds in his first career start in place of Terrance Ferguson. According to NBA stats, Dort held Harden to 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting from the field and 1-of-11 from 3-point range in nearly eight minutes as his primary defender.
Luguentz Dort held Harden on 9-29 shooting and 1-17 from the 3.
Dort was disciplined guarding Harden after not biting on his patented pump-fake. Harden attempted just four free throws with Dort defending him as the rookie proved he belonged on the court. Dort always had a hand in Harden’s face and was mostly successful in avoiding foul trouble.
The Thunder return to action Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.
In his first career start, Dort held Harden to 9-of-29 shooting as Harden tied his own record for most 3-point misses (16) in a single game.
Lu Dort might have just earned himself a contract.
In his first career start on Monday night, the two-way player frustrated James Harden from start to finish.
While at first glance, it might look as if The Beard had his way with the Thunder rookie, a closer look at the box score reveals that Harden needed 29 shots from the field to get to 29 points. He made just 9 of his 29 attempts, going a paltry 1-of-17 from beyond the arc. Per Stat Muse, that tied his own record for most missed three-point attempts in a single game.
Most 3-point misses in a game:
16 — James Harden (tonight) 16 — James Harden (Jan 8 2020) 16 — James Harden (Dec 2019) 16 — James Harden (Oct 2019) 16 — James Harden (Mar 2019) 16 — James Harden (Jan 2019) 16 — Damon Stoudamire (Apr 2005) pic.twitter.com/GWEcXKkWhD
The only place Harden excelled on Monday was at the free-throw line, hitting 10-of-13.
Dort drew the start in place of Terrance Ferguson, who missed the game due to personal reasons.
According to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, Billy Donovan told reporters after the game that he though Dort did “an unbelievable job” in a career-high 32 minutes.
“He played a lot of minutes, really worked hard on Harden. You’re not going to be perfect on him all the time, but I thought the effort that he gave for the 30-plus minutes that he was on the floor was huge for us.”
Dort scored eight points, but much like Ferguson in that role was needed much more for his defensive presence than his offensive prowess.
Rookie Wire takes a look at the top rookies through the seventh week of the 2019-20 NBA season.
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant recently returned after missing four games due to back soreness after crashing into a courtside camera operator.
With Zion Williamson out following knee surgery, the top of the rookie class took a hit over the past week with Morant out of the lineup and R.J. Barrett struggling to stay consistent.
Of course, Morant returned on Monday night to lead the Grizzlies to a win over the Golden State Warriors. He recorded a team-high 26 points in that game and reasserted himself as the top rookie to this point of the season.
As Morant showed so signs of slowing down following his injury, some other rookies are beginning to pick up steam as the NBA begins the second quarter of the season.
Rookie Wire will compile the rankings of the five best players each week based on how they performed on the court. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the top-performing players.
Here are the Rookie Wire Power Rankings for Week 7:
All stats are through games played on Dec. 10
5. De’Andre Hunter, Hawks
Stats: 12.8 points, 4 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Rank Last Week: Honorable Mention
Speaking of pick up steam, Hawks rookie De’Andre Hunter has burst onto the scene over the past few weeks. Hunter recorded a career-high 28 points on Tuesday night in an overtime loss to the Miami Heat as he shot an efficient 11-of-17 from the field. Hunter recently dealt with a dislocated right index finger but showed no signs of any issues on Tuesday night. Hunter is up to seventh in rookie scoring this season but is averaging 14.5 points per game over his six games, good for sixth-best over that time period.
After struggling with his consistency, Hachimura has quietly strung together quite a few impressive performances. The ninth overall pick has scored in double figures in seven straight games and is averaging 19.6 points over that span, the most among all rookies. Of course, that streak includes a career-high 30 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 1 and a 27-point performance two games later against the Philadelphia 76ers. The rookie appears to be finally finding his way with the Wizards and it has led to some improved play as of late.
As the Warriors struggle, Paschall is coming off of his worst outing of the season. The second-round pick recorded a season-low five points on Monday, snapping a streak of 13 consecutive games scoring in double figures. Paschall still leads the rookie class in total points scored, just topping Kendrick Nunn and Ja Morant. Paschall has thrived in isolation situations this season and has used his size and strength to get to the basket. He is having a strong rookie campaign to this point and now has the second-highest odds to win the Rookie of the Year award as a result.
The undrafted rookie reclaims the second spot in our rankings after a monster performance on Tuesday against the Hawks. Nunn recorded a career-high 36 points, finishing 14-of-26 from the field while adding six rebounds and four assists. Nunn is averaging 19 points over the past week as he appears to have broken out of a recent slump that saw him post 10.5 points over a four-game stretch. He is now just one of four rookies to record at least 30 points in a game this season, joining Eric Paschall, Ja Morant and Rui Hachimura.
As previously mentioned, Morant returned on Monday after a four-game absence to lead the Grizzlies with 26 points in the win over the Warriors. Morant showed no signs of any lingering back issues during the game and fooled a number of Warriors players on a nifty pass fake for an easy bucket. The Grizzlies likely held Morant out to fully heal as the injury was not considered to be serious but it was certainly a plus to have Morant back out on the court Monday night.
Herro had back-to-back performances of at least 20 points over the weekend but followed that up by going scoreless Tuesday night in 23 minutes of action. Herro is tied with R.J. Barrett for fifth in scoring among rookies but his zero-point outing against the Hawks shouldn’t be a cause for concern moving forward.
Washington hit a bit of a wall toward the end of November but has come on strong for the Hornets since then. He is averaging 14.9 points and 4.4 rebounds over his last eight games, including a 20-point performance against the Hawks on Sunday. Perhaps most impressive in that outing is Washington got to the free-throw line 13 times, converting on 12 shots.
Reddish is fifth in scoring among all rookies over the last week, averaging 14.7 points while shooting 50% (7-of-14) from 3-point range. Reddish had a career-high 25 points on Dec. 4 as he continues to flash his potential this season.
Hayes is finding consistent playing time now and is producing as a result. He is averaging 11.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in five December games and has scored in double figures in three straight games for the first time this season.
Thybulle recorded a career-high 20 points on Sunday and followed that up with 13 points Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets. He is shooting 52.9% (9-of-17) from 3-point range over his last four games as he appears to be settling in with the Sixers.
Shout Out:
Luguentz Dort, Thunder
After beginning the season in the G League with the OKC Blue, Dort has spent the past three games in the NBA with the Thunder. He recorded his first bucket on Sunday and had nine points on Monday night.
Just one night after scoring his first NBA bucket, Thunder two-way rookie Luguentz Dort followed that up by recording nine points on Monday.
Just one night after scoring his first NBA bucket, Oklahoma City Thunder two-way rookie Luguentz Dort followed up that performance by recording nine points in a 104-90 win over the Utah Jazz.
The undrafted forward started off his rookie campaign with the OKC Blue in the G League but has been with the Thunder for the past three games as he made his NBA debut on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Dort finished by shooting 3-of-6 from the field in 29 minutes off of the bench on Monday while the Canadian likely made his best impact on the defensive end of the floor. He was often tasked with guarding Donovan Mitchell as he was matched up with the third-year guard for five minutes of game time.
While completely shutting down Mitchell is a task in itself, Dort held Mitchell to eight points on 2-of-7 shooting from the field as his primary defender, per NBA stats. In a small sample size, Dort has defended well thus far, even holding Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum to a combined 0-of-3 shooting on Sunday. He also had a game-saving steal against Minnesota.
Dort has been known to play physical and can be hard to stop when he gets moving downhill. His energy off of the bench has been a bright spot as he appears to have taken over the role of second-year forward Deonte Burton after he was sent down to the Blue following an altercation with a teammate.
The Thunder have been rumored to be interested in making several trades ahead of the deadline in February, which could lead to an increased youth movement later this season and Dort could be a candidate to see a bigger role as a result.
OKC returns to action Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings.
After recording his first bucket in the NBA, Dort hilariously recreated the picture Wilt Chamberlain took after scoring 100 points in 1962.
Oklahoma City Thunder two-way rookie Luguentz Dort scored his first NBA basket Sunday night during a 108-96 road win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The undrafted forward logged nearly 20 minutes of work off of the bench before fouling out of the game. Dort finished 1-of-4 from the field while he tallied two points and three rebounds for the Thunder.
Perhaps most impressive was his defense, though.
Dort was tasked with matching up with the likes of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum and held the two All-Star players to 0-of-3 shooting as their primary defender.
After recording his first bucket in the NBA, Dort hilariously recreated Wilt Chamberlain’s picture after he scored 100 points against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962.
Of course, Chamberlain’s 100-point game with the Philadelphia Warriors still stands as the most points scored in a single game. Chamberlain finished by shooting 36-of-63 from the field while he went 28-of-32 from the free-throw line.
(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Dort has been with the Thunder for the past two games after playing the beginning of the season in the G League with the OKC Blue. He logged seven minutes on Friday, recording one rebound and one steal. In eight games with the Blue, Dort is averaging 21.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals.
The Thunder return to action on Monday against the Utah Jazz,
Through three games Luguentz Dort is averaging 23 points and 5.3 rebounds for the OKC Blue.
Luguentz Dort is off to a stellar start for the OKC Blue.
Through three games with the Thunder’s NBA G League affiliate, Dort is averaging 23 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
His best outing came in the season opener against the South Bay Lakers, when he scored 35 points in 31 minutes on 12-of-19 shooting from the field.
In 21 minutes against the Winchester Knicks during the Blue’s home opener Saturday night, Dort scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds en route to helping OKC to a 130-114 win.
Signed as an undrafted free agent over the summer, Dort’s defensive capabilities were never a question. If the first three games are any indication, there won’t be many questions remaining about his ability to score.
OKC Blue head coach, Grant Gibbs, told Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman that it’s just a matter of brushing up his skill set.
“The talent defensively is there,” Gibbs said, “and there’s a mentality that’s hard to get out of people that I think he naturally has. But there’s a lot of fine tuning to get him to a higher level.”
Gibbs added that Dort has been coachable, and has “done a good job of just trusting the process”.
“Like, these are the things I want to work on, let’s evaluate them after every game, let’s work on them, let’s watch the film, and then the next game is an opportunity to test that out again.”
The OKC Blue returns to action Tuesday, Nov. 19 when they host the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
