Weber State basketball: Dillon Jones gets first NBA start with Oklahoma City
Utah native Carlson scores career-high against 76ers
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- Oklahoma City’s Dillon Jones, right, contests a driving Philadelphia guard Quentin Grimes (5) at the rim Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in Oklahoma City.
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- Oklahoma City forward Branden Carlson looks on during a game Jan. 14, 2025, in Philadelphia.
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- Oklahoma City forward Dillon Jones dribbles during a game against Brooklyn on Jan. 19, 2025, in Oklahoma City.
The younger of Weber State’s two NBA players notched a milestone Wednesday night.
Dillon Jones got his first career NBA start with the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting Philadelphia; the league-leading Thunder sat five or more starters/rotation players against the sliding 76ers.
Jones notched a few career-highs and missed one more, and the Thunder dominated from the jump for a 133-100 victory. OKC is now 57-12.
In his usual do-it-all fashion, Jones totaled 11 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals in 35 minutes. That gave the 6-foot-5 rookie his most minutes, assists and steals in a game while just missing his career scoring high of 12. In the fourth quarter, Jones made a 3-pointer from the left wing and converted two free throws after drawing a foul cutting through the paint.
The Thunder’s TV broadcast gave Jones the team’s assist of the night, a no-looker from the top of the key to Chet Holmgren for a dunk early in the third quarter.
Another Utah rookie got a chance to shine alongside Jones. South Jordan native and former University of Utah center Branden Carlson netted 16 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes, all career-highs.
For non-Utah watchers, 22-year-old Jaylin Williams was the story for the Thunder. The third-year player notched his second triple-double in his last six games, totaling career-highs of 19 points and 17 rebounds to go with 11 assists.
The teams combined to cast up a combined 109 3-point attempts. Carlson made three and Jones two of OKC’s makes in a 24-of-52 effort. The 76ers shot 18 of 57 from deep.
Jones has appeared in 42 of the Thunder’s 69 games this season, averaging 2.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and one assist in 9.5 minutes per appearance. For OKC Blue in the G League, Jones has played in 17 games, averaging 13.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 31.3 minutes.
