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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Everybody knows the Oklahoma City Thunder’s depth is the envy of the league and the backbone of their aspirations for a second straight NBA championship.
The next impressive player to rise from the Thunder’s bottomless depth and onto the national stage is Ajay Mitchell, who has seized the spotlight while replacing injured teammate Jalen Williams during these playoffs.
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After delivering career playoff highs of 24 points and 10 assists with no turnovers in the Thunder’s 131-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night, the Belgian guard is the latest cog in general manager Sam Presti’s formidable machine to prove he’s ready to contribute to Oklahoma City’s aspiring dynasty.
Perhaps only his teammates aren’t surprised.
“Yeah, he’s a gamer,” MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Works super hard. He’s never shaken by the moment. It might be a shock to the world, but it’s no shock to us. We knew who Ajay Mitchell was the day he stepped foot in our building, and he’s just showing it to the world.”
The Thunder are unbeaten in the postseason after taking a 3-0 series lead in the second round, seemingly making their advancement to the Western Conference finals a mere formality.
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That’s largely thanks to Mitchell, who swiftly stepped up to shoulder an increased offensive load five games ago following Williams’ hamstring injury. In the second round, Mitchell has also stepped up to make up for the Lakers’ strong defensive effort against Gilgeous-Alexander, who has been limited and erratic by his formidable standard.
“I know what I can do, and when I go out there, I just want to compete and help this team win and play freely,” Mitchell said. “Every time I step on the court, I want to be a winning player and help my team. That’s really what’s been on my mind every time I play.”
Mitchell did that impressively in the second half of Game 3, with 18 points and seven assists in the half while largely taking charge of the game at the start of both quarters. He led the Thunder’s 21-6 run out of halftime on the way to a third straight blowout.
Mitchell is…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ajay-mitchell-thunders-latest-emergent-053049512.html
Author : GREG BEACHAM
Publish date : 2026-05-10 05:30:00
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