The Oklahoma City Thunder faced the New Orleans Pelicans on October 6, 2026, in their preseason opener, suffering a 116-110 defeat in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The game allowed several young players to showcase their talents, as key players including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams were inactive.
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Six rookies participated in the game for the Thunder, with Otega Oweh, a second-round pick, and undrafted free agent Andrew Holifield having challenging debuts. Oweh recorded six points, six rebounds, one assist, two steals, a block, and two turnovers, shooting 3-of-9 from the field in 28 minutes. Holifield contributed four points, two rebounds, and one assist in just seven minutes, going 1-of-4 from the field.
The Pelicans featured rookie Jaron Pierre Jr., who tallied three points, four rebounds, three assists, and a block, shooting 1-of-4 from the field in 12 minutes.
Four Thunder rookies had notable performances:
Josh Dix scored 11 points, with two rebounds and two assists, shooting 4-of-7 from the field and 3-of-5 from three-point range in 30 minutes.
Aday Mara, the No. 12 pick in the draft, started the game, finishing with 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and three blocks, shooting a perfect 5-of-5 from the field in 18 minutes.
Bennett Stirtz, selected 16th overall, also started and recorded a game-high 15 points, six assists, and five rebounds, shooting 6-of-9 from the field before leaving the game with an ankle injury late in the fourth quarter.
Christoph Tilly, another undrafted free agent, had nine points, four rebounds, and two assists in 25 minutes, shooting 4-of-7 from the field.