How Nikola Topic took advantage of minutes in OKC's loss to Nuggets

Getting Curtis Jones to backtrack, Nikola Topic jammed on his brakes. Feeling daring, he went with the stepback 3-pointer despite the solid contest. The 20-year-old was already on his way back to defense as his outside jumper rattled in. Phew. He isn't afraid to let it fly.

The Oklahoma City Thunder helped the Denver Nuggets' seeding with a 127-107 loss. With the first seed already locked up, they sat out their main rotation of guys. That meant ample playing time for the back of the bench.

Topic finished with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 11 assists and two rebounds. He shot 2-of-3 from 3. He also had four steals.

Nearly two years since he was drafted, the Thunder finally saw Topic log serious minutes in an NBA game. It took clearing an obstacle-filled road to get to this point — with both a basketball-serious injury and a life-serious diagnosis. Of course, most know his story by now.

Topic missed all of last season recovering from a torn ACL he sustained in May 2024. After showing promise in the 2025 Summer League and OKC's preseason opener, he learned the scary news that he had testicular cancer in Oct. 2025. Going through rounds of chemotherapy, he finally made his NBA debut in the game before the NBA All-Star break.

Since then, Topic has mostly been with the G League's OKC Blue while sporadically playing limited minutes on the Thunder. In his first start, the 20-year-old showed off why the excitement hasn't dulled down with his potential. He put his head down and attacked the basket for several driving layups. He also knocked down a couple of outside jumpers that showed off his fluidity and range.

The playmaking talent was also on full display. Double-digit assists are tangible evidence of that. Alas, eight turnovers also showed the same thing for why he remains a project. He'll need to clean up his ball security. And fast. That's the only way he can stick in the NBA. But that's a problem for another day. For now, it was super cool to see Topic play significant minutes at this level.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was impressed with what Topic showed. Whenever he's talked about his journey, he always commends his fortitude to fight through such difficult life battles and get back on the NBA court.

"He was really good. Even some of the turnovers are just plays he's going to figure out as he catches up to the pitching," Daigneault said about Topic. "He had three where he was trying to pass over the top. I took that as not knowing the length of the league yet, but he's going to calibrate that so quickly. But he knows where the ball should go. He's got great tempo."

The Thunder won't rely on Topic for their upcoming playoff run. If he plays any minutes, it'll be because the game got out of hand — for better or worse. But you saw why the former lottery talent had fans within OKC's building a couple of years ago.

"I would like to get those minutes in, to feel NBA games and road trips. Now we've got to travel back home, so that will obviously be tough," Topic said. "Just try to get the most of it and get ready for the playoffs as much as we can."

Afterward, Topic chatted up Nikola Jokic — who sat this one out. The three-time MVP winner has spoken at length about his relationship with him. The two spent time together on Serbia's team last year. He also talked to Bogdan Bogdanovic in the last game after the Thunder captured the first seed.

"It’s great seeing everybody, obviously. We have a great relationship. We know each other from way back. We do the national teams together every summer, so I know those guys. It’s really been a pleasure to be around them and to know them," Topic said. "There are not a lot of Serbian players in the NBA, so we’ve got to stick together. That’s what we’re doing. We’re taking care of each other. Now they’re taking care of me because I’m the youngest. But it’ll turn around, I hope so, one day."

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: How Nikola Topic took advantage of minutes in OKC's loss to Nuggets