Former Oklahoma City forward Ousmane Dieng delivered a breakout performance against his old team, posting 19 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four blocks to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 110-93 victory over the Thunder on Thursday night.
Dieng, dealt by Oklahoma City just before the trade deadline, made a strong statement in his return matchup. The 6-foot-9 Frenchman, who was the 2024 G League Finals MVP while leading the Oklahoma City Blue to a title, showcased his versatility on both ends as Milwaukee controlled the game from start to finish.
The Bucks were without head coach Doc Rivers, who attended a funeral, with assistant Darvin Ham stepping in. All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo also sat out with a right calf strain. Even short-handed, Milwaukee got 17 points from AJ Green and 15 points and 12 rebounds from Bobby Portis.
Oklahoma City was also depleted, missing reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain) and Jalen Williams (right hamstring strain). Both are set to be re-evaluated after the All-Star break. Isaiah Joe led the Thunder with 17 points, while Chet Holmgren added 16 points and 13 rebounds.
The night also featured an emotional milestone for the Thunder. Rookie Nikola Topic, the No. 12 pick in the 2024 draft, made his NBA debut after missing the start of his career while recovering from a torn ACL and undergoing treatment for testicular cancer. Topic entered late in the first quarter to a standing ovation and scored his first NBA basket on a short jumper early in the second. He finished with two points, one rebound and one assist in 12 minutes.
Milwaukee led most of the way, though Holmgren sparked a late first-half push by scoring 11 points in the final 3:10 before halftime to keep Oklahoma City within striking distance at 67-55. The Bucks tightened defensively in the third quarter, holding the Thunder to 16 points to build an 89-73 lead entering the fourth. Milwaukee pushed the margin to as many as 24 in the final period to seal the win.
Up next:
The Bucks visit New Orleans on Friday, while the Thunder return home to host Brooklyn.
