OKC Thunder beat LA Clippers as Aday Mara defeats Baba Miller

Aday Mara defeated fellow Spaniard Baba Miller on Sunday as the Oklahoma City Thunder secured a 108–101 victory against Los Angeles Clippers in NBA regular-season action, La Vanguardia reported.

Oklahoma City Overcomes Clippers Despite 26 Turnovers

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 34 points, six rebounds, and five assists, bouncing back past the 20-point threshold after Denver recently snapped his streak of 141 games scoring at least 20 points, according to Marca. Oklahoma City capitalized on 26 turnovers by Los Angeles, turning those miscues into 38 points. Ajay Mitchell added 18 points for the Thunder.

Los Angeles led 46–43 at halftime before Oklahoma City erased the deficit in the second half. Darius Garland paced the Clippers with 16 points and 11 assists, while Brook Lopez and Kris Dunn contributed 15 points apiece, Mundo Deportivo noted. The win pushed Oklahoma City’s undefeated record to 3–0, placing them fifth in the Western Conference, while the Clippers sit ninth.

OKC Thunder beat LA Clippers as Aday Mara defeats Baba Miller — Photo: MARCA

Spaniards Clash Briefly in Limited Minutes

Mara logged 14 minutes for the Thunder, contributing two points, three rebounds, one assist, and one block while shooting 1-of-3 from the field and committing two turnovers. Diario AS noted that the 2,24-meter center scored his only field goal on a dunk from Jared McCain during a 0–8 run. Marca pointed out that Mara was selected 12th overall in the recent draft and has also appeared in wins against the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets.

Miller saw just two minutes and 28 seconds of action for the Clippers without attempting a shot, finishing with one defensive rebound and two turnovers, per Notimérica. During their brief on-court overlap, Mara rejected a shot from his compatriot. Mundo Deportivo reported that Clippers coach Tyronn Lue plans to use Miller at both power forward and center as depth behind Isaiah Jackson and Brook Lopez.

Veterans Challenge Mara as Jalen Williams Suffers Ankle Injury

Mara experienced a quintessential rookie initiation when Isaiah Jackson drove through the lane to dunk over the Spaniard, a moment highlighted by Marca. Mundo Deportivo added that veteran center Brook Lopez also tested Mara by shutting down his roll game in the pick-and-roll.

The game took a concerning turn for Oklahoma City when Jalen Williams sustained a severe ankle injury during the contest, according to Marca and Notimérica.