The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers in overtime, 114-112, in the preseason at Paycom Center on Tuesday. Zhaire Smith sank the game-winning bucket with 45.6 seconds left.
The win, however, came at a cost for the Thunder, as Otega Oweh suffered a lower-body injury in overtime. He collapsed to the floor and grabbed his right ankle. He struggled to walk on his own and needed assistance getting off the court, according to The Athletic’s Andrew Schlecht.
“Otega Oweh was carried to the locker room by J-Will (Jaylin Williams) and Hart (Isaiah Hartenstein). Injury looked really bad,” wrote Schlecht on X.
“OT in the preseason should be illegal.”
Otega Oweh being carried to the locker room by JWill and Hart
Injury looked really bad.
OT in the preseason should be illegal pic.twitter.com/dUiCK11WTH
— Andrew Schlecht (@AndrewKSchlecht) October 14, 2026
Oweh tallied eight points and three rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench. The Thunder notched their first win in the preseason.
The Thunder acquired the 23-year-0ld rookie in a draft-day trade with the Miami Heat, who picked him at No. 41 out of Kentucky.
Entering the game against the Pacers, Oweh was averaging 6.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks in the preseason.
According to The Oklahoman’s Justin Martinez, what happened to the young guard was eerily familiar, especially for the Thunder and the Pacers.
“An official diagnosis of the injury has not yet been announced, but the way it occurred is often the result of a torn Achilles. That was the case for Tyrese Haliburton during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals inside Paycom Center, along with other players around the league,” wrote Martinez.
Haliburton balled out in his return to Oklahoma City, tallying 24 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 18 minutes.
The Thunder will end their preseason on Thursday against the Houston Rockets.
The post Thunder lose promising rookie to apparent serious injury vs. Pacers appeared first on ClutchPoints.
