Nets Vs Thunder — Jared McCain’s 21 lifts Oklahoma City to 105-86 win
In a nets vs thunder matchup that reshuffled the standings, Jared McCain scored a season-high 21 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Brooklyn Nets 105-86, moving the Thunder to 43-14 while the Nets fell to 15-40. McCain’s breakout night came with Oklahoma City short-handed, making his scoring pop for a club managing multiple injuries.
Nets Vs Thunder: McCain’s breakout night
McCain, the former Philadelphia 76er the Thunder acquired in a trade this month, posted his highest points total in five games with Oklahoma City, making 7 of 12 field goals and 3 of 6 3-pointers in a reserve role. Chet Holmgren finished with 15 points, Isaiah Joe added 11, and both Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort contributed 10 points apiece as Oklahoma City balanced its offense around McCain’s scoring burst.
Second-quarter drought sank Brooklyn
Oklahoma City trailed 23-21 after the first quarter but seized control early in the second, opening a stretch that produced a 38-26 edge. Brooklyn went the first 8 1/2 minutes of the second quarter without a field goal, and Dort was fouled on a made 3-pointer with 2: 18 left in the half; he made the free throw to put the Thunder up 43-30. The Thunder led 50-33 at halftime after holding Brooklyn to 3-for-17 shooting in the second quarter, and the Nets’ 10 points in the half were the fewest allowed by Oklahoma City this season.
Brooklyn’s late struggles and individual marks
Michael Porter Jr. finished with 22 points and nine rebounds for Brooklyn, and Nolan Traore added 17 points, but the Nets shot just 36. 7% from the field in their third straight loss. Oklahoma City extended a late run when reserve Nikola Topic, who recently made his NBA debut after undergoing treatment for testicular cancer, hit a 3-pointer and a finger roll during a 7-3 spurt that pushed the score to 86-70 in favor of the Thunder.
Short-handed Thunder, next steps for injured players
The Thunder played without several regulars as reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deals with an abdominal strain and 2025 All-Star Jalen Williams has a strained right hamstring; both are to be re-evaluated in the coming weeks. With those re-evaluations upcoming, Oklahoma City leaned on depth—McCain’s 21 and supporting scoring from Holmgren, Joe, Hartenstein and Dort—to close out the 105-86 victory.
The immediate confirmed development is the medical re-evaluations: Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams are to be re-evaluated in the coming weeks, and the Thunder will carry a 43-14 record into their next scheduled game following the win over Brooklyn.
