Oklahoma City Thunder First Basket Stats 2025-26: Who Scores First
Luguentz Dort scored the Thunder’s first basket more than anyone in 2025-26: 22 times in 83 starts, or 27% of the games they started. Chet Holmgren was next with 16. The Thunder made the game’s first field goal in 51% of their 96 games and won 48% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2025-26 game (1,225 regular season, 85 playoffs, 6 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Thunder in 2025-26
First basket for team is the first field goal by any OKC player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for OKC | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luguentz Dort | 83 | 22 | 27% | 10 | 12% |
| Chet Holmgren | 83 | 16 | 19% | 11 | 13% |
| Cason Wallace | 60 | 14 | 23% | 9 | 15% |
| Isaiah Hartenstein | 60 | 10 | 17% | 4 | 7% |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 82 | 9 | 11% | 3 | 4% |
| Ajay Mitchell | 23 | 7 | 30% | 3 | 13% |
| Aaron Wiggins | 21 | 6 | 29% | 2 | 10% |
| Jalen Williams | 36 | 5 | 14% | 4 | 11% |
| Jaylin Williams | 11 | 4 | 36% | 2 | 18% |
| Isaiah Joe | 9 | 1 | 11% | 1 | 11% |
| Branden Carlson | 4 | 1 | 25% | 0 | 0% |
| Alex Caruso | 0 | 1 | – | 0 | – |
How often the Thunder scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 96 | 49 | 51% |
| Home | 49 | 24 | 49% |
| Away | 47 | 25 | 53% |
| Regular season | 81 | 45 | 56% |
| Playoffs | 15 | 4 | 27% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chet Holmgren | 79 | 39 | 49% |
| Isaiah Hartenstein | 6 | 4 | 67% |
| Jaylin Williams | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| Branden Carlson | 3 | 1 | 33% |
| Cason Wallace | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Team | 92 | 44 | 48% |
How the Thunder’s first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 3-pointer | 38 | 40% |
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 26 | 27% |
| Layup | 24 | 25% |
| Dunk | 8 | 8% |
2024-25
| Player | Starts | First basket for OKC | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 98 | 19 | 19% | 13 | 13% |
| Jalen Williams | 91 | 19 | 21% | 8 | 9% |
| Isaiah Hartenstein | 72 | 15 | 21% | 9 | 12% |
| Chet Holmgren | 55 | 15 | 27% | 9 | 16% |
| Luguentz Dort | 93 | 14 | 15% | 6 | 6% |
| Isaiah Joe | 16 | 7 | 44% | 5 | 31% |
| Aaron Wiggins | 26 | 6 | 23% | 3 | 12% |
| Cason Wallace | 45 | 5 | 11% | 4 | 9% |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Thunder?
Luguentz Dort, with 22 of the Thunder’s first baskets in 2025-26 (27% of their 83 starts), ahead of Chet Holmgren with 16.
How often do the Thunder score first?
The Thunder made the first field goal in 49 of 96 games in 2025-26 (51%): 49% at home and 53% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Thunder?
Chet Holmgren took 79 of the Thunder’s 92 opening tips in 2025-26 and won 49% of them.
Is Luguentz Dort a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 27% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every NBA game; see NBA first basket picks.
Source: NBA play-by-play and box scores, 2025-26. Updated October 13, 2026. See the NBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.