Oklahoma
NBA Summer League: Utah Jazz vs. Oklahoma City Thunder recap
The Utah Jazz Summer League squad came out of the gate flat-footed, falling behind Oklahoma City in the early minutes with an ever-widening lead that the Jazz simply couldn’t whittle down.
If Moneyball’s Billy Beane is to be believed, anything that’s worth doing is going to be incredibly hard. In Utah’s case, shaping its young talent into NBA-level contributors is the goal, and the path to their destination is still unclear. Player development is never linear, and Utah’s blowout loss against the Thunder Summer League squad was a perfect indication that the youth of Utah is far from ready to take on real NBA competition.
In a game where Utah never led, the Thunder looked like the better-prepared team from the tip-off. OKC’s offense was reminiscent of a picky bachelorette addicted to swiping left on Tinder. All night long, it was pass, pass, pass, until the defense was out of men to keep up with their rapid pace.
Utah’s defensive rotations tied themselves into knots as they fought through screens, switched assignments, and frantically chased down open shooters. Of the Thunder’s 35 attempted 3-pointers, it wouldn’t be hyperbolic to say that over half of their hoists were uncontested—absolutely wide open.
As a team, Utah didn’t come to this game ready to win and never caught up with the Thunder’s Summer League clinic. In a 98-75 blowout win, the most exciting play of the game was a Jack Gohlke 3-pointer in garbage time.
Key Performers
But beyond every crushing defeat, teams only truly lose when they take no lessons from their failure. That may sound like fortune cookie mumbo-jumbo, but it’s the truth. When player development is the aim, nothing can be more detrimental to a prospect’s growth than a story with no moral.
Though the overall sentiment among fans is that Utah’s young core has a long journey before them, several players displayed flashes of inspired hooping that should get onlookers itching to see more.
Brice Sensabaugh was excellent tonight. Limiting himself to only 1 turnover—a drastic improvement from the night before—Sensa was in his bag offensively. Scoring an efficient 18 points in only 15 minutes of playing time
For much of the game, the offense largely ran through Kenny Lofton to varied levels of success. Whether operating as a central hub from the top of the key as a screener, distributor, and shooter, or even playing some minutes as the lead ball handler (that was pretty cool), Lofton’s versatility was on full display as he posted a stat line of 18 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds with a bonus 3 steals and 1 block.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25524643/2160774649.jpg)
Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowki added solid contributions during their floor time. Collier got to the rim easily, though he struggled to finish consistently at the rim. He didn’t see the floor for the second half, but that’s likely to make room for other players to get more minutes. Filipowski moved the ball well and finished a few plays himself. He sprinkled in a few assists to go with his 5 rebounds on the night. Take away a few traveling calls, and the rookie had a solid outing.
Even Armondo Bacot, the Tar Heel star, put in some solid minutes after his DNP last night. He collected rebounds much like I’d expect the pink puffball Kirby would, and put in solid minutes—even if those minutes came after the game had already been put out of reach.
The Ice Age
3 point shooting was hard to watch. More shots clanked off the rim than I could stomach in this one. I sent countless prayers to the basketball gods for Cody Williams to knock one down, and I finally received an answer when he knocked down a trey in the late second half.
Williams was still trepidatious in seeking his own offense, and I would have loved to see him involved in more cutting actions, drives to the rim, or anything other than simply standing in the corner while Preston and Lofton played hot potato at the top of the key. Whether this was due to the Jazz’s offensive scheme or Williams’ tendencies, I’d love to let him go to work and show off what he can do.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25524648/2160772738.jpg)
Cody was far from the Jazz’s biggest problem in this one. Shooting 32% from the field and 22% from beyond the arc will equal out to a loss in any situation. Some players who won’t be seeing NBA minutes took more shot attempts than I’d want to see, with certain players who will go unnamed taking and missing far more than their fair share.
Poor shooting nights happen, but tonight’s result was likely a symptom of unprepared players, an incomplete offensive system, and role ambiguity. Tonight was a bump in the road for Utah’s young players, and without Kessler, George, and Hendricks in the lineup, the team lacked leadership and direction.
Keep in mind that while taking too much from Summer League is an easy habit to fall into, making up your mind on a player’s first NBA experience is shortsighted. Utah endured a rough game against Oklahoma City tonight, but the future is as bright as ever.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) — Oklahoma lawmakers have voted to honor country music artist and Oklahoma native Toby Keith.
House Concurrent Resolution 1019 recognizes Keith’s lasting impact on music and proposes renaming a planned turnpike in his memory.
The concurrent resolution was authored by Rep. Jason Blair, R-Morgan, and Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman.
The planned route will extend from Interstate 44 east to Interstate 35, then continue east and north to I-40 at the Kickapoo Turnpike.
Copyright 2026 KSWO. All rights reserved.
Governor Kevin Stitt has said he wants the State Superintendent of Education to be a governor-elected position instead of an elected one. Political analyst Scott Mitchell examines what this would mean for the state.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is urging lawmakers to send a state question to voters that would make the state superintendent an appointed position, as he named Lindel Fields of Tulsa to the role and announced a turnaround team to help implement his education agenda.
Is the State Superintendent an elected role?
Yes, the State Superintendent of Education is still an elected role. Elections are scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
Cons of making the superintendent an appointed position
Mitchell said making this position appointed could cause distrust among some Oklahomans
“Over the years, we’ve seen that capture of regulatory sort of is easy to do when you have term limits, then lobbies become more powerful, and they have all the history. It’s very complicated.
He also said if the position were to be elected, they would likely have the same agenda as the governor.
“Yes, and I think the governor would be absolutely saying, ‘Yes, they’re going to do what I want them to do.’”
Changing how the superintendent is chosen changes what the founding fathers set.
“Voters are going to have to say yay or nay if it gets to them, is whether or not we want to change the way that the founding fathers set up the way that we make sure that power is not concentrated in Oklahoma,” he said.
Is Ryan Walters’ term the reason Stitt wants to make this position appointed?
Mitchell said he believes the former State Superintendent played a role in the government wanting to appoint this position.
During his time as superintendent, Walters was known to have multiple controversies. He resigned in 2025, allowing Stitt to appoint Lindel Fields.
“His impact on this, even though he’s gone, is certainly evident,” said Mitchell. “Walters left midstream, right? And so the governor had a chance to appoint someone. Well, it wasn’t just an appointment; it was chaos before and relative calm and competency after. And that has given the governor an opening for people to see with their own eyes. Yeah, you can put somebody in, we’re talking about Lindel Fields, that appears to get up every day, not trying to find some, get a click on social media, but rather to do his job. And across the board, for the most part, this guy’s getting thumbs up.
Stitt said electing Fields has already given him some leverage since he has been well perceived so far.
“That allows a governor to say, Look, I’ve got some standing, some leverage to go to the voters and say, let’s put expertise as the main reason that a person’s there, not because they were able to win an election because they had some sort of populist or dramatic ideas.”
Who is running for Oklahoma State Superintendent?
Republican Ballot
- Sen. Adam Pugh
- John Cox
- Rep. Toni Hasenbeck
- Ana Landsaw
Democrat Ballot
- Craig Mcvay
- Jennettie Marshall
Independent
To learn more about each candidate, click here.
A full breakdown of candidates in the 2026 Oklahoma State Superintendent race, including party affiliation, background and key education priorities.
An Oklahoma highway could soon be named after the late country superstar, Toby Keith, pending new legislation.
House Concurrent Resolution 1019 would rename a proposed turnpike project the “Toby Keith Expressway.” This roadway is set to be built from Interstate 44 East to Interstate-35, continuing East and North to Interstate 40. This road is a part of the ACCESS Oklahoma Long-Range Plan, which is meant to update and expand the state’s turnpike system.
This resolution was adopted by the House on Wednesday.
“Toby Keith was more than a country music star. He was a proud Oklahoman who never forgot where he came from,” said Rep. Jason Blair, R-Moore. “Naming this turnpike in his honor is a fitting way to recognize a man who represented our state with ultimate patriotism and generosity.”
Keith was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, raised in Moore and resided in Norman. He died on February 5, 2024, in a battle with cancer.
“Over the course of his legendary career, Toby Keith never forgot where he came from or what he stood for,” said Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman. “His Oklahoma roots shaped him, and his love of America defined him. He was a country music superstar and a true patriot. I can think of no better way to honor his memory than by naming this future stretch of Norman turnpike in his honor, creating a lasting tribute to the legacy he leaves behind.”
During his career, Keith sold over 40 million records and more than 20 number-one singles
Legislation authors believe this would commemorate the life and legacy of Toby Keith.
The bill will now head to the Senate.
To read the full House Resolution, click here.
Suit challenges Kansas law that revoked trans people’s updated IDs
Louisiana bill would impose tougher penalties for operating unlicensed gambling websites
2026 Southern Maine Athletes of the Week: Winter Week 12
Maryland family wants answers after boy with special needs breaks leg in class
Michigan Lottery: Woman wins $822K prize after buying ticket during lunch break
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Where Iran’s ballistic missiles can reach — and how close they are to the US
Has India’s influence in Afghanistan grown under the Taliban?
Bill Clinton to testify before House committee investigating Epstein links
Read Judge Schiltz’s Order
Vulnerable House Dem lashes out at Trump’s ‘racist’ SOTU challenge: ‘That was uncomfortable’
-
World2 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts2 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Montana1 week ago2026 MHSA Montana Wrestling State Championship Brackets And Results – FloWrestling
-
Oklahoma1 week agoWildfires rage in Oklahoma as thousands urged to evacuate a small city
-
Louisiana5 days agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Technology6 days agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Denver, CO2 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Technology6 days agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making