Tre Mann

okcthunder

Tre Mann and Aleksej Pokusevski stopped by Kirkland Elementary School alongside the Rolling Thunder Book Bus, presented by American Fidelity Careers, to help students pick out some new reading material to enjoy over the holidays!

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Books for the Holidays!

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okcthunder.com

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Photos: Book Bus at Kirkland Elementary

Shai, Lu and Tre surprised trick‑or‑treaters at the OKC Zoo.

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Watch: Halloween Fun at the Zoo

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Photos: Haunt the Zoo

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Thunder Caps Off SLC With Win

Hanging onto a two-possession lead late in the fourth quarter, it was up to the young playmakers on the Thunder’s Summer League squad to execute and make a play. 

The Philadelphia 76ers had been harassing the Thunder in the backcourt and trapping at the top of the key for nearly the entire second half, but on this sequence, OKC got what it wanted. Forward Ousmane Dieng, heading into his second NBA season, cut to the rim and received the ball, patiently waited for the help defense to aggressively crash over. Then, instead of forcing up a shot, Dieng kicked the ball back out to Tre Mann, who had relocated into the corner for a wide-open catch-and-shoot 3-pointer.&nbsp;

The bucket was a pivotal one to help seal the Thunder’s 100-91 victory, giving the summer league squad a 2-1 record in Salt Lake City before continuing on to Las Vegas this weekend. The sequence was also emblematic of the time of poise, teamwork and trust that the Thunder lives by, all attributes that are buoyed by a competitive spirit.&nbsp;

“We did a better job of just getting them in better sets offensively, where we could alleviate the pressure,” said Thunder Summer League head coach David Akinyooye. “But for the most part the guys did a good job of not flinching and just keeping their composure.”

“I feel like every game we went in and tried to compete to win,” added Mann. “We all played together. That was the thing I was most proud of is just how we came in here with that mindset of competing.”&nbsp;

Mann was the constant presence for the Thunder in Salt Lake City, scoring at least 20 points in every game, but doing so efficiently and in sync with what the team was trying to get done on offense. He pulled up for 3-pointers if it was late in the shot clock, but he mostly attacked downhill, got into the paint and either scored or drew fouls. On defense, he played with aggression and awareness as he helped the Thunder consistently turn the opposition over each night.&nbsp;

“Just my poise and also trying to find better shots,” Mann said of the improvement he felt from the end of last season. “I feel like that led to me being more efficient. That was my main key coming in, trying to be poised and play with a good pace and just show my maturity.”

“We all played together. That was the thing I was most proud of is just how we came in here with that mindset of competing.”

Dieng also played all three games in Salt Lake City, and not surprisingly given his youth, the 20-year-old showed that he can improve even in just the span of four days. After a tough outing on Monday in the Thunder’s win against the Utah Jazz, Dieng put together back-to-back strong performances on Wednesday and Thursday, despite being in very different roles. He went for 13 points and 6 rebounds against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday as a wing player, then on Thursday he scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as he played a ton of minutes at the center spot.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“(Dieng) did a good job of just initiating our offense and also, being a five, being able to crash more on the offensive glass and on the defensive glass as well,” Akinyooye said.&nbsp;

“I worked this summer on my body and on my shots,” said Dieng. “We've been together all summer in OKC, but it's really good just to play together and just enjoy it.”&nbsp;

The reason that Dieng played center on Thursday was because rookie Chet Holmgren sat out and rested on the second night of a back-to-back after performing well, with excellent energy and physicality in the Thunder’s first two games. Holmgren, who missed the last 11 months with a Lisfranc injury, was thrilled to be on the court with his teammates, using the minutes to get some rhythm back and the time on the floor to bond with the rest of the guys.&nbsp;

“It's really been competing with myself just to stay in it,” the ever-competitive Holmgren said. “I followed everything to a tee so this is kind of like the reward for that. It's great to be back out there and make mistakes, learn from it, make good plays, learn from it, compete with the dudes, have fun with them, smile and go hard. That's what it's about for me.”

Holmgren displayed just how effective he can be as a multi-dimensional player on both ends of the floor – attacking off the dribble and playing as a screener with the ability to pop or roll. The defensive presence around the rim was the most intriguing though, as Holmgren swatted 7 total shots in the two games he played and affected many more just with his presence and length.&nbsp;

Another dynamic Thunder player was Jalen Williams, who came to Summer League despite being the runner up for Rookie of the Year last season. He played the first game against Utah and was electric, scoring 21 points in just 22 minutes of action, getting to whatever spots on the floor he wanted while finishing deftly at the rim. Unfortunately, Jalen suffered a glute contusion, and had to miss the final two games.&nbsp;

“I'm just working on the stuff I worked on in the summer,” said Jalen Williams. “I like playing basketball. So it's always fun to just get out there and play whenever you can and finally be done playing against the coaches the whole summer.”&nbsp;

Rounding out the Thunder returners was another soon-to-be second-year man, big man Jaylin Williams. Already an imposing figure in the pain, Jaylin showed up to summer league looking even more chiseled and immovable. Williams was effective around the rim as a rebounder, dropped in a couple of his “boom”-ing 3-pointers and was his typical jovial self, cheering on his teammates, communicating on the floor and leaving all of himself out there. He perhaps had the best perspective about Summer League and the offseason quest for improvement.&nbsp;

“It’s something I love doing,” Jaylin said. “I just love seeing transformation and I love getting better in every aspect of my game, even if it’s not touching a basketball.”

That attitude was pervasive in Salt Lake City as the Thunder played to its identity and got everyone the vital reps they’ll need heading into next season. But the work isn’t even close to done, as the team took off immediately from the mountains of Utah over to the Nevada desert, where they’ll play in five more games in the 30-team Summer League out in Las Vegas.

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Thunder Shows Competitiveness in 2023 Salt Lake City Summer League

By Nick Gallo and Paris Lawson |&nbsp;okcthunder.com

In the midst of a gauntlet stretch of 19-straight games against Western Conference foes who are all fighting for playoff positioning, the young Thunder squad is learning how to bring it every night and sustain its level of energy and execution for all 48 minutes.&nbsp;

Against a rested Phoenix Suns team, the Thunder rolled into town in the early hours of Wednesday morning to cap off a stretch of nine games in 14 nights with the second night of a back to back. The Suns jumped out with an 11-0 run as the Thunder started just 2-of-16 shooting from the field with four turnovers. In the second quarter the Thunder’s second unit helped deliver a response punch, scoring 40 points in the first half alone to make sure it was still within striking distance at halftime, down by only eight. 

In the second half, however, Phoenix’s extra energy and veteran savvy was too much to overcome as the Suns ripped off a 19-6 run in the early stages of the third quarter. Viewing everything through the lens of development, the Thunder got extended minutes for its young players - vital reps against one of the league’s best teams that will pay dividends down the line, despite the 132-101 loss.&nbsp;

Nick: After a pair of high-energy plays by Phoenix to start this road game, the Thunder kept the ball alive on the offensive glass and it led to a baseline out of bounds play. OKC got the ball into one of the most dangerous shooters in the entire NBA, Isaiah Joe, and the Suns had to react. Flying out wildly, Joe’s defender Torrey Craig crashed into him, which put Joe on the free throw line for three shots. It was the eighth time Joe has been fouled on a 3-pointer this season, one of the top 25 marks in the entire league. A few possessions later, Joe got a kickout pass from Josh Giddey and spun in a 3-pointer from the top of the key to keep this one close in the first few minutes. The Thunder hit 15 3-pointers in the game.&nbsp;

Paris: Jared Butler stepped into the ball game for the Thunder with 4:30 left in the first quarter. OKC found itself down double digits early against the Suns and needed a spark off the bench. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault brought in the second unit including Butler and in the next minute, the newly minted two-way player posted a quick five points on back to back possessions. The buckets marked his first points as a Thunder player in just his second game played.&nbsp;

Paris: Tre Mann attacked the middle of the floor, drew two defenders and Lindy Waters III slotted into the space at the top of the key. Mann scooped the ball back to Waters who stepped into a rhythm 3-pointer to make it a single-digit ball game. The Thunder’s sharpshooter knocked down four 3-pointers in the first half –&nbsp;a new career high on just six attempts. By halftime, the Oklahoma native notched a season-high 21 points in just 15 minutes played on 6-of-8 from the 3-point line and a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line.&nbsp;

Nick: Just like he did earlier to find Joe for 3, Josh Giddey attacked downhill then flung a pass all the way back out behind him to the top of the key. Waiting at the top of the key was Jeremiah Robinson-Earl who was ready in triple-threat position to shoot, pass or drive. Rookie guard Ousmane Dieng immediately streaked from the wing to the rim and Robinson-Earl found him on the cut for a wide open two-handed slam down low. The bucket was one of many cuts by the Thunder throughout the game, including a few possessions later when Dieng cut again, then found Robinson-Earl for a layup as he made an overlapping cut right behind him.

Nick: The Thunder’s second unit picked up the group with its energy and effort in the first half, and the starters wanted to try and carry that momentum forward. On the very first Thunder possession of the half, Giddey attacked downhill, went to a hook shot and got fouled too. It was his 25th and-one of the season, more than triple the number that he accumulated last season. In general, the 20-year-old Giddey’s added physicality this season has made an impact on his scoring and ability to get to the free throw line. While he didn’t have a prolific scoring night tonight, Giddey’s ability to serve as a scoring threat sets up other parts of his game, as he once again piled up at least 10 points, five rebounds and five assists in a game for the 35th time this season and 54th time in his two-year career with a 10-point, seven-rebound, five-assist, two-steal night.&nbsp;

Paris: Aaron Wiggins caught the ball in the open floor after a missed basket by Phoenix and made a quick layup on the other end. As the Suns tried to inbound the ball, Tre Mann lurked in the backcourt and snatched the ball in the open floor for a steal. The second year guard finished an easy, uncontested layup after the sneaky pick and gave the Thunder a short burst of energy after the Suns took control of the game in the third frame. For the night, Mann scored 14 points on 4-of-9 from the field including 2-for-5 from the 3-point line to go with four rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Paris: Ousmane Dieng uses every minute on the floor as an opportunity to continue his development as a young 19-year-old rookie in the league. His assignment has been to play with force on both ends of the floor and in the fourth quarter, Dieng played with force, but also showed off his versatility at 6-foot-10. He cashed in a couple of 3-pointers and also finished a strong drive to the basket. For the night, Dieng racked up 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal and shot at 5-of-13 from the field.&nbsp;

Nick: Two-way player Olivier Sarr made his presence felt down low on both ends of the floor with an and-one bucket and with a blocked shot in the lane. Getting some extended minutes again for the Thunder this season after playing 10 games with the Oklahoma City Blue, Sarr is in his second year with the Thunder on a two-way deal. Last year Sarr played 22 games for the Thunder towards the end of the season, and over the course of his career he’s shown the ability to be a speed-rolling big man that can finish above the rim in addition to a player who can pop above the three-point line to take jump shots. Defensively, he’s still working on his pick and roll defense, but has shown a knack for blocking shots around the rim.&nbsp;

“Second units in general, you want the guys off the bench to elevate the energy of the game and especially on a back to back with tough travel. The guys that didn't play a lot of minutes last night, those are the guys you want to lean on in that situation.” –Coach Daigneault&nbsp;

“When I was in shootaround, when I was going through my pregame routine just trying to lock in. It felt really, really good leaving my hand early.” –Lindy Waters III&nbsp;

“They really didn’t miss a shot. It started with Devin Booker. Devin Booker came out aggressive. He hit some tough shots where we played our defense and then after that they just really got what they wanted and got into the paint and sprayed it out.” –Tre Mann

After a day off on Thursday, the Thunder will practice in Oklahoma City on Friday before kicking off another back-to-back, this time in New Orleans and San Antonio on Saturday and Sunday. These two games close out a stretch of 19-straight games against Western Conference foes.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Recap: Thunder at Suns

In honor of MLK Jr., Tre Mann, Mike Muscala and Aaron Wiggins had a day of service with the student-athletes at Thelma Parks Elementary.

The players worked side-by-side with the kids to create gift baskets and write notes for seniors living in the Mount Olive Senior Cottages program.

Mike Muscala: "It's a good feeling to help somebody and offer words of encouragement at any age. That giving-back feeling makes the world go around."

Watch how the Thunder trio brightened the young hoopers' day.

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Thunder Day of Service

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A Special Delivery

Broadcaster Michael Cage Takes a Reading Timeout

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Michael Cage Takes a Reading Timeout

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Thunder at Thelma Parks Elementary

Tre Mann, Mike Muscala and Aaron Wiggins helped Thelma Parks Elementary students make gift baskets seniors in the community.

<a href="https://www.nba.com/thunder/live">WATCH LIVE // THUNDER MEDIA DAY</a>