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October 13, 2026 at 5:30 AM UTC

Postgame Report

Thunder's Understudies Fall to Hawks 113-110 in Preseason Road Loss

With none of last season's rotation on the trip, Oklahoma City's young roster lost its third straight preseason game, 113-110 in Atlanta.

Thunder vs Hawks live updates: Where to watch OKC-Atlanta NBA preseason game — Yahoo Sports
Thunder vs Hawks live updates: Where to watch OKC-Atlanta NBA preseason game — Yahoo Sports

The Thunder brought a roster to Atlanta on Monday that looked little like the one that will open the regular season, and they lost to the Hawks 113-110. None of last season's rotation players made the trip. Oklahoma City started Bennett Stirtz, Brooks Barnhizer, Aday Mara, Josh Dix and Otega Oweh, and that group carried most of the night.

The game worked as an audition for the end of the roster, and several players made the most of it. Stirtz led everyone with 26 points. Barnhizer played a game-high 40 minutes and finished with 20 points and eight rebounds. Mara had 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for a double-double, and Oweh matched him with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Anthony Pritchard added six points, seven rebounds and five assists off the bench, a quiet, useful line for someone fighting for a place.

The night followed from the schedule. It was the second half of a preseason back-to-back, and the Thunder rested their regulars rather than push them through it. Atlanta did something similar, holding out veterans, including former Oklahoma City guards Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins. The Hawks still had enough from Jock Landale (17 points), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (16) and Zuby Ejiofor (15 points, nine rebounds) to hold on.

The loss left the Thunder 0-3 this preseason, though nobody in the building was treating the record as a concern. Dix gave the staff something to think about with 16 points and seven assists in 37 minutes, which keeps him in the conversation for the open standard roster spot. In October, that matters more than the score.

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