Tag: Vasilije Micic

Spurs’ Wembanyama, Hornets’ Miller named rookies of the month for third straight time

Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller for the third straight time have been named the Rookies of the Month for March.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama and Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller were named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference rookies of the month, respectively, for the third straight time.

Wembanyama became the first Spurs rookie to win three months in a row since Tim Duncan after averaging 23.2 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 1.2 steals in 12 games. He led all rookies in scoring, rebounding and blocks in March.

Miller averaged 18.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 14 games, becoming the fifth player in franchise history to win three times. He was second among rookies in scoring and led all first-year players in 3-pointers (42).

Wembanyama registered five 30-point games, the most by a rookie in a calendar month since LeBron James in December 2003. He produced a career-high 40 points and 20 rebounds on March 29, becoming the first rookie since Shaquille O’Neal in 1993 to reach that mark.

Miller was the third-fastest Hornets rookie to surpass 1,000 career points after reaching that mark on March 15 (60 games). He later registered his third 30-point game of the season after recording 31 points with a career-high seven 3s on March 27.

Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson II and Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson were also nominated for the award from the West. Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick, Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Hornets forward Vasilije Micić were also nominated in the East.

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Mark Daigneault, multiple Thunder players discuss grueling January schedule

Mark Daigneault, multiple Thunder players reflect on grueling January schedule.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are finally on the other side of their most grueling month of the 2023-24 regular season.

During January, the Thunder played 17 games with 11 on the road and an excruciating five back-to-backs. The NBA jammed OKC’s January schedule with several games to make up for lost time following a relaxed December due to the in-season tournament.

With the month finally over, the OKC capped off a 17-games-in-31-days gauntlet by clinching a pivotal season series over the Denver Nuggets. In total, the Thunder went 11-6 — a moderate success considering the level of opponents OKC played.

Fatigueness started to show near the end of the month, with back-to-back losses to the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves, but the Thunder sprinted past the finish line with a third win over the Nuggets.

Entering February, the Thunder (33-15) sit in second place and are one game back from the first seed. An ideal spot to be at with two months left in the regular season.

Here’s what Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault and players had to say about surviving the physically taxing month.

Player grades: Short-handed Thunder survive Jokic-less Nuggets, 105-100

Player grades for the Thunder’s 105-100 win over the Nuggets.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Grabbing his miss, Josh Giddey quickly recalibrated amid chaos and dished it out to Chet Holmgren for the left-wing 3-pointer. As the ball swished through the basket, the crowd celebrated the dagger with 22 seconds left.

The short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder clinched a critical season series with a 105-100 win over the Denver Nuggets — who were without their MVP candidate Nikola Jokic.

“That was a gutsy win,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “Really, really impressed. The end of the month, as we’ve talked about before, that month was a slog. This was our sixth game in nine days. When you really step back and think about that, that’s like a very difficult schedule.”

In the first quarter, OKC looked lethargic as it trailed 28-19 following the frame. The offense looked smoother in the second quarter with a 28-point frame.

By halftime, the Thunder had a 51-47 deficit. A 26-point third frame by OKC saw it enter the fourth quarter with a slight 73-72 lead. A massive 20-2 run by the Thunder helped create an 11-point advantage less than two minutes into the fourth quarter.

Trailing by 10 points with a little over three minutes left, Denver rattled off seven consecutive points to suddenly turn it into a three-point contest with two minutes left.

A pair of free throws by Jamal Murray made it a one-point lead for OKC with less than a minute left. On the next possession, the Thunder collected a pair of misses to wrap up three consecutive looks with the Holmgren 3-pointer.

A rare five-second violation on a failed inbound pass by the Nuggets in the ensuing possession guaranteed the crucial win for OKC. Playing the 17th game in 31 days, the depleted Thunder labored through the massive victory running on fumes.

Entering the contest, OKC was without Jalen Williams (ankle sprain) and Isaiah Joe (sternum contusion). Both are part of the Thunder’s best seven players.

Despite that, the Thunder shot 43% from the field and went 11-of-26 (42.3%) from 3. They tallied 24 assists on 37 baskets. OKC totaled four double-digit scorers.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 34 points and had a busy night at the free-throw line. Holmgren contributed with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Off the bench, Aaron Wiggins and Vasilije Micic stepped up in the absences of Williams and Joe. Both bench players scored 12 points apiece.

“We didn’t start the game the way we wanted to,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I think we all could feel how slow we were on both ends of the floor. They shot it well to start the game as well. We dug deep, we got stops when we needed them and we came out with a (win) because of it.”

Meanwhile, the Nuggets shot 40% from the field and went 15-of-37 (40.5%) from 3. Denver relied on its hot outside shooting to compensate for Jokic’s absence. Six players scored double-digit points for the Nuggets.

Aaron Gordon totaled 16 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and four blocks. Murray had 16 points and four assists. Michael Porter Jr. scored 15 points and went 3-of-9 from 3.

Off the bench, Reggie Jackson scored 16 points and Christian Braun scored 10 points.

With the low-scoring win, OKC ends its season series against Denver winning three of four matchups. This means the Thunder own a potential tiebreaker, which could prove vital considering how close they are in the standings.

Both teams entered the contest with notable absences, but the Thunder did just enough on both ends to come out victorious and snap a two-game losing skid.

“It was a great team win,” Daigneault said. “We got contributions from everybody in a game that was obviously a grind. I was really, really impressed with the energy we were able to tap into tonight.”

Let’s look at Thunder player grades.

Player grades: SGA’s 37 points leads Thunder to 112-100 win over Magic

Player grades: SGA’s 37 points leads Thunder to 112-100 win over Magic.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Matching up with Paolo Banchero, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander beat him to the basket to hit the reserve layup. The highlight shot gave OKC a double-digit lead with a little over four minutes left.

The Oklahoma City Thunder picked up their sixth consecutive home victory in a 112-100 win over the Orlando Magic. A 27-11 record now has the Thunder tied for first place in the Western Conference standings.

“That was a really, really good well-earned win by us,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said on the win. “Defense I thought was on it. I thought we did a really good job on Banchero… I thought offensively, we really generated great shots for a lot of the floor game.”

A sluggish start saw the Thunder create a 23-21 advantage following the first quarter. By halftime, that lead grew to a low-scoring 49-43. Coming out of the break, the Thunder’s potent offense returned to form. A 37-point third quarter helped OKC enter the final frame with an 86-73 lead.

Less than three minutes into the final frame, the SGA-less Thunder lineup created a game-high 16-point lead. The fourth quarter didn’t provide much drama as the closest the Magic got was within six points. OKC did an excellent job at keeping distance on the scoreboard the rest of the way.

Outside of a small blemish in the first frame, OKC led for the entire night as the short-handed Magic battled fatigue and injuries on the second night of a road back-to-back.

“I think we’re starting to figure out what it takes to win games,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That’s the only thing on our minds.”

The Thunder shot 46% from the field and went 8-of-36 (22.2%) from 3. OKC shot 18-of-21 from the free-throw line. All five starters scored double-digit points.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 37 points and seven assists. The All-NBA player received several notable ‘MVP’ chants during his busy night ar the free-throw line. Jalen Williams had 16 points and Chet Holmgren had 15 points.

“We’ve had a very unselfish spirit really the whole season,” Daigneault said on their offensive flow. “They work together to find the best shots and they work together to find the best advantages.”

Meanwhile, the Magic shot 46% from the field and went 7-of-35 (20%) from 3. Orlando struggled from the free-throw line as it went 15-of-24.

Banchero scored a team-high 20 points on 8-of-19 shooting. Caleb Houstan contributed with 14 points and went 4-of-12 from 3. Off the bench, Cole Anthony scored 14 points and Anthony Black scored 13 points.

The absences of Franz Wagner and several other players were notable as the Magic never generated an offensive flow in a contest that had no real flow to it.

Even though their shot didn’t fall at the clip they’ve recently grown accustomed to, the Thunder picked up another solid win over the improved Magic.

“Stops because we did not shoot well,” Williams said. “Anytime you can hold a team to (100 points) or kinda below that like we’ve been able to do last couple of games, it makes having odd nights a lot easier.”

This was a neat way to wrap up a quick two-game homestand before returning to the grueling road as they begin a four-game road trip.

“We did a great job at manufacturing a win there on a night where we didn’t shoot it particularly well,” Daigneault said. “We did it with pace and we did it with rebounding. I think we’ve stayed the course with our style.”

Let’s look at Thunder player grades.

Recap: OKC Thunder’s Tuesday practice (Nov. 21)

Here’s a recap of the Thunder’s Tuesday practice:

The Oklahoma City Thunder held practice on Tuesday as they prepare for their home game against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

It was the second day of a rare two-day break, who are coming off of a three-game road trip that finished with a back-to-back over the weekend. At 10-4, the Thunder will enjoy a slow week as they’ll only play two home games this week.

At practice, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault and guard Vasilije Micic spoke with the media.

Daigneault provided an injury update on Jalen Williams, who missed OKC’s historic win over the Portland Trail Blazers with a hip strain. Meanwhile, Micic had some pretty high praise for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander considering his decorated overseas career.

Here’s a quick recap of Tuesday’s Thunder practice:

Vasilije Micic explains differences between playing in NBA and EuroLeague

A couple of preseason games in, Vasilije Micic brought up some key differences between the NBA and EuroLeague.

A couple of preseason games in, Vasilije Micic played a familiar brand of basketball that made him one of the best international players before he joined the NBA.

The traditional point guard has played a facilitator role for the Oklahoma City Thunder when on the court. Dissecting pick-and-rolls, he’s also shown a willingness to shoot if the opportunity presents itself.

The 29-year-old rookie had his best preseason outing yet against the Charlotte Hornets, where he finished with six points on 3-of-10 shooting, eight assists and three rebounds. He also went 0-of-5 from three and committed five turnovers.

When asked about adjusting to the NBA a couple of weeks into his tenure, Micic said space and pace are the two biggest areas of the game that differ from EuroLeague basketball.

“It’s a very high pace of game compared to EuroLeague,” Micic said. “The paint is more open. So there are a lot of opportunities for creative guys to reach the paint and create the advantage — especially good ball-handlers. But also, it’s kinda a little bit easier to create from that spacing. For me, I’m still trying to adjust.”

Micic later joked he’s still getting accustomed to the high-pace environment, noting how he only played 26 minutes against the Hornets but it felt like he played 45.

Once Micic adjusts to the differences in the NBA, there’s a real possibility he will turn into a solid rotation piece for the Thunder. When neither Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nor Josh Giddey are on the floor, Micic could provide valuable backup guard minutes running the second unit.

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Recap: OKC Thunder’s Monday practice (Oct. 16)

Here’s a recap of what Mark Daigneault and Vasilije Micic had to say following Monday’s practice:

The Oklahoma City Thunder held practice on Monday a day after their preseason loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

After practice, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault and guard Vasilije Micic spoke to the media.

In their sessions, Daigneault talked about the advantages of playing five preseason games, which is more than the usual amount. Meanwhile, Micic talked about adjusting to the NBA game following three preseason outings.

Daigneault also provided injury updates on Cason Wallace (sprained toe) and Kenrich Williams (back spasms).

Let’s recap what both said following their practice on Monday as they prepare to play the Milwaukee Bucks at home for their fourth preseason contest.

Player grades: Comeback attempt falls short in Thunder’s 117-115 preseason loss to Hornets

Player grades for the Thunder’s 117-115 preseason loss to the Hornets on Sunday:

Trailing in transition, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl caught the ball from Aaron Wiggins and had a chance to hit a layup to send Sunday’s preseason game into overtime.

Instead, the ball failed to go through the hoop and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s comeback attempt fell short in their 117-115 preseason loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

“Obviously we came up a little short, but I thought we came with it tonight,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault on their effort.

Preparing to play on a sleepy Sunday afternoon, the shorthanded Thunder used their third preseason matchup to rest their starters and several key players.

Prior to the game, the Thunder elected to rest Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort and Isaiah Joe. Kenrich Williams (back spasms) and Aleksej Pokusevski (ankle sprain) were also ruled out.

The long list of injuries grew during the game as the Thunder ruled Cason Wallace — who started and had five points in eight minutes — out with a toe sprain in the second quarter.

With arguably their top-nine players out for most of the night, the Thunder used their loss to the Hornets as a chance to allow their depth players to play a heavy dosage of minutes.

Even without their starters, the Thunder offense didn’t miss a beat, scoring 115 points on 42-of-91 (46.2%) shooting. The ball movement was crisp as active off-ball movement and cuts helped OKC generate 30 assists on its 42 field goals.

“Offense was really good,” Daigneault said. “I thought we generated great rhythm. Worked together. Got our cutting in. Moved the ball side to side.”

For a third consecutive preseason game though, the defense continued to show leakages.

The Hornets scored 117 points on 46-of-88 (52.3%) shooting in their two-point win. Charlotte utilized 69-point middle quarters to help it enter the final frame with an 11-point lead. Without Holmgren, the Hornets scored 62 points inside of the paint.

The Thunder made it interesting in the fourth quarter, cutting the Hornets’ lead to as little as one point against Charlotte’s reserves. OKC had a pair of layup attempts in the final seven seconds that missed, which would’ve either given it a one-point lead or tied it and forced OT.

The Hornets were led by P.J. Washington, who’s grown a reputation for turning into Steph Curry when facing OKC. During an essential must-win game for the Thunder late last March in the midst of their Play-In push, he scored 43 points and played spoiler in the upset.

In a much less pressure-filled environment tonight, Washington had 31 points on 13-of-18 shooting and 5-of-8 shooting from 3 in 24 minutes. The Hornets elected to treat this game as a regular-season matchup with their starters playing 20-plus minutes.

LaMelo Ball had 16 points, six assists and six rebounds in 24 minutes. Terry Rozier finished with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting and six assists in 26 minutes. 2023 No. 3 pick rookie Brandon Miller had eight points and seven rebounds.

Meanwhile, the Thunder were led by Jaylin Williams and Aaron Wiggins in this exhibition. Williams received his first start of preseason and played the point center role. Wiggins — who is from North Carolina — had several fancy finishes around the rim for 16 points.

Let’s look at Thunder player grades.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Vasilije Micic out for preseason opener vs. Spurs

The Thunder will be without SGA & Micic as Wemby rolls into town.

The Oklahoma Thunder City will be without a couple of key players in their preseason opener against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault announced Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (rest) and Vasilije Micic (ankle sprain) will be out for the game.

Daigneault made the announcement following Sunday’s training camp workout. He also said Micic’s ankle sprain is day-to-day. Both players join Aleksej Pokusevski — who continues to rehab from an ankle sprain — as Thunder players who will sit out.

The pair of Thunder guards will have to wait a bit longer for their chance to play against Victor Wembanyama, who is set to play in OKC.

Instead, Thunder fans will take solace in watching Josh Giddey and Chet Holmgren work on their pick-and-roll game in the latter’s first game at Paycom Center.

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Recap: Sunday’s 2023-24 OKC Thunder training camp

Here’s a quick recap of Sunday’s Thunder training camp as Mark Daigneault, Kenrich Williams and Aaron Wiggins spoke to media.

The Oklahoma City Thunder held the final day of training camp on Sunday ahead of their preseason opener against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, Oct. 9.

After camp, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault and wings Kenrich Williams and Aaron Wiggins spoke with the media.

During the session, Daigneault revealed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss their preseason opener for rest purposes, and Vasilije Micic will miss it due to an ankle sprain.

Practice footage was also recorded and tweeted by media who were in attendance on Sunday.

Let’s recap what the trio had to say as the 2023-24 training camp comes to a close.