Feb. 23, 2026, 1:00 p.m. CT
On the receiving end of a physical foul, Dennis Schroder‘s temper quickly boiled. He swiftly turned around. Ready to confront whoever pushed him from the back. Until he realized it was Nikola Topic. The career journeyman seamlessly went from The Hulk to Bruce Banner.
Even though Schroder has gained a reputation over the years as a pesky player, he’s held a soft spot for the Oklahoma City Thunder. After all, his best two seasons were with them from 2018-20. He finished runner-up in the latter year playing alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort.
Fast-forward six years, Schroder finds himself at a new NBA home. Something he’s done every other month, it feels like. He’s joined the Cleveland Cavaliers — as well as James Harden and Keon Ellis. The East contender’s newest toys rode a seven-game win streak with the new additions.
The short-handed Thunder snapped that with a surprising 121-113 win over the Cavaliers. Sans Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, the short-handed squad had a sizzling-hot start and rode that wave to the rare upset victory to remain ahead for the West’s first seed.
Schroder had 11 points and seven assists off the bench. Donovan Mitchell and Harden were equally absent. Each scored an inefficient 20 points as Lu Dort and Cason Wallace hounded them all game long.
Afterward Schroder, showed some love to OKC across social media. He called it a ‘special place’ to play. Even though he’s antagonized the entire league at this point, no amount of rage-baiting will cause Thunder fans to grow annoyed with his antics.
Always cool to see Schroder visit the Thunder. His stint was brief, but he provided some good memories. Especially with the 2019-20 OKC squad that also had Chris Paul and Gilgeous-Alexander. Who knows — maybe he’ll be back in June for a possible 2026 NBA Finals.
