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Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng drops 7-word reaction to monster outing vs Jazz

Ousmane Dieng speaks out after dropping 20 points to lead Thunder to a 98-75 win over the Utah Jazz in NBA Summer League action.

By Mark Nilon

May 13, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng (13) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder in game four of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
May 13, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng (13) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder in game four of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
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Following a disastrous showing against the Philadelphia 76ers during game one of Salt Lake City's NBA Summer League, Ousmane Dieng managed to bounce back in a major way for the OKC Thunder on Tuesday night.

Logging 26 minutes in Oklahoma City's exhibition against Utah, the third-year forward went on to drop a highly impressive stat line of 20 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 66.7 percent from deep all en route to a 98-75 victory.

From his soft shooting touch and confident ball-handling sets to his sound all-around efforts on the defensive end, it's hard to believe that Dieng was coming off a 10 point performance on 21.4 percent shooting just the previous night.

During a post-game media session, the former lottery pick described his thoughts on his sound follow-up performance, publicly sharing that it "felt good to get my rhythm back."

Ousmane Dieng talks 20-point showing following Thunder win over Jazz

"I struggled a little bit yesterday but [I'm] just trying to get the car back on the road. That's just it."

- Ousmane Dieng

Since being selected with the 11 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Thunder fans have been waiting patiently to see Dieng establish himself as a potential building block within the ball club's core moving forward and, with his enviable age of 21 coupled with his 6-foot-9 size and two-way upside, there's plenty of reason to be excited about his potential.

Of course, for the better part of his two-year NBA tenure, the forward has found himself suiting up with the club's developmental team, the OKC Blue, where, just recently, he helped guide them to the 2024 NBA G League Championship.

Heading into this year's Summer League, all eyes have been zeroed in on Dieng as he attempts to take that third-year leap.

Game one versus the Sixers was certainly a rough start, but Tuesday's showing provided onlookers serious hope.

Hopefully, momentum will carry on over into Wednesday's outing against the Grizzlies, where the Thunder will close out their Salt Lake City stint of the Summer League and gear up for the Las Vegas tournament later this week.

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