Thunder rookie Otega Oweh suffers leg injury in overtime win over Pacers
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Otega Oweh hurt his right leg in overtime of a 114-112 preseason win.
- He could not put weight on his right foot as he left the floor.
- No official diagnosis has been announced yet by the team.
The Oklahoma City Thunder lost a player on Tuesday night. Rookie guard Otega Oweh hurt his right leg in overtime. The Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 114-112 in the game.
The injury looked serious. Oweh fell to the floor without contact. He could not put weight on his right foot.
His teammates helped him to the locker room.
No official diagnosis has been announced yet. The team will check him and share news later. Until then, fans can only wait.
What happened
The game took place at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. It was a preseason game. It was the fourth preseason game for the Thunder.
The game was close all night. The Pacers led by 20 points at one stage. The Thunder fought back.
The score was tied at 100 after four quarters.
The game went to overtime. Then the mood changed fast.
About one minute into overtime, Oweh fell. He had planted his right foot on defense. He tried to push off the foot.
Then he dropped to the floor.
He grabbed the back of his right ankle. He stayed on the floor. The Thunder huddled around him after a timeout.
Then a few teammates carried him to the locker room. He put zero weight on his right leg.
The game went on. The Thunder won 114-112. Zhaire Smith scored seven points in overtime.
He hit the shot that put OKC ahead for good.
But the win felt flat. The injury took over the night.
Why it matters
Oweh is a rookie. He is trying to earn a spot on the team. He was the 41st pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Thunder got him in a draft-night trade from Miami. He signed a two-way contract in July.
A two-way contract lets a player move between the NBA team and its minor league team. It is a chance to prove worth. Young players fight hard for these spots.
Oweh played two seasons at Oklahoma. Then he moved to Kentucky. He played two seasons there.
Last season he scored 18.6 points per game. He also grabbed 4.8 rebounds per game. He passed for 2.7 assists per game.
This is his second setback in a short time. He hurt his left foot in the first Summer League game. He missed the rest of the Summer League games.
Now he has hurt his right leg.
The way he fell worries people. The injury came without contact. He planted his foot and pushed off.
Then he fell. According to The Oklahoman, that kind of play has often led to a torn Achilles in the past.
The Achilles is a strong cord at the back of the ankle. It links the calf muscle to the heel. A tear is a major injury.
It can keep a player out for many months.
The same arena saw a similar scene before. Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. That game was also at Paycom Center.
Haliburton was back on the floor on Tuesday. He scored 24 points for the Pacers.
That link makes the night feel even heavier. One star came back from the same injury. A rookie may now face the same long road.
But no one should jump to a final answer yet. No official diagnosis has been announced. The team has not said what the injury is.
Tests will give the true picture.
What the team said
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault spoke after the game. He kept it short. He said it was really tough.
He said it was tough for Oweh.
Teammate Brooks Barnhizer also spoke. He said any injury is never good. He said Oweh is a lively person.
He said Oweh puts a smile on every face in the room. He said Oweh will be OK no matter what the news is.
Barnhizer and Oweh are both on two-way deals. They have bonded since Summer League. Barnhizer said they found out they share mutual friends.
He called Oweh an amazing human being.
Those words show the human side of the night. A young player got hurt. His friends felt it at once.
What happens next
The Thunder will run tests on Oweh. The team will then share a diagnosis. That news will set the plan for his care.
The Thunder finish preseason play on Thursday. They play on the road against Houston. The game starts at 7:30 PM Central Time.
The regular season starts soon after.
Oweh will not play in that game. His focus will shift to rest and care. The team will help him with each step.
For the Thunder, the rest of the roster keeps moving. Jared McCain led the team with 20 points on Tuesday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points.
Jalen Williams scored 16 points. The team showed fight in its comeback from 20 points down.
But the Oweh news will hang over the week. A preseason win is nice. A young player at full health matters more.
Fans should watch for the team update. That update will give facts, not guesses. Until it comes, the key facts stay simple.
Oweh hurt his right leg. He left the floor with help. The team has not yet said how bad it is.
Why this story hit so hard
Preseason games are meant to be low stakes. Coaches test young players. Stars get light work.
Fans get a first look at the new roster.
Tuesday was not like that. The game was a rematch of the 2025 NBA Finals. Haliburton returned to the same floor where he got hurt.
He played with great energy. He scored 24 points in 17 minutes.
The Thunder also played with real fire. They came back from 20 points down. They won in overtime.
It was their first preseason win after three losses.
Then Oweh fell. The joy left the building in a flash. Players on both teams know how fast a career can change.
They saw it happen to Haliburton in the same arena. They saw it again on Tuesday.
That is why the story spread so fast. It was not just a box score. It was a young man with a fresh chance.
It was a quiet arena. It was teammates carrying him off the floor.
For now, the best move is patience. The tests will speak. The team will share facts when they have them.
Oweh has already shown he can fight back once. He did it after his Summer League injury. He will need that same fight again.
Read more: Thunder edge Pacers 114-112 in overtime as Haliburton shines. Also see how Luka Doncic sat out for rest as the Lakers faced the Warriors. More preseason action: Timberwolves vs Knicks preseason score.
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