3 studs, 3 duds from the Thunders' humiliating preseason loss to the Houston Rockets in OT

In the OKC Thunder's second preseason game, the ball club went into overtime against the Rockets.

In overtime, Oklahoma City lost to Houston by a final score of 122-113.

Even though it was a loss, the Thunder dominated for most of the game. This was due in large part to a flurry of three-pointers early on, as they went 8-for-19 from distance in the first half.

OKC had a 13-point lead after halftime, but that's when coach Mark Daigneault used the starting lineup.

For the rest of the game, the bench unit ran the game while the Rockets continued to play their primary weapons. Even though the Thunder didn't win that contest, there were great performances across the court.

Of course, as is to be expected with any defeat, there were also some not-so-good performances.

Here are three guys and three duds from Oklahoma City's second preseason game.

Stud – Isaiah Hartenstein

Isaiah Hartenstein came on again, but that didn't diminish his impact. The big man's performance against Houston was very similar to his performance in the 112-107 win over the San Antonio Spurs earlier this week.

Hartenstein finished the game with 6 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block in 21 minutes of play.

There is nothing bad to say about the center's performance in the competition. He played defensively all night, forcing a missed dunk and showing he's not afraid to jump with the high flyers. His presence alone will help this Thunder team, especially when paired with Chet Holmgren.

The only downside to his performance would be his scoring prowess, but the Thunder don't need Hartenstein to post double-digit points. You'll need him to clear the floor, grab boards, and help Chet inside.

In many ways, this was a perfect performance from Isaiah Hartenstein.

Dud – Ousmane Dieng

This shouldn't be a surprise. Ousmane Dieng once again showed what kind of player he can be, he just needs to do that for the whole game or even a large part of the game.

Overall his performance was very disappointing.

While Dieng has a nice-looking jump shot, he lacks the confidence to use it consistently. After missing his first 3-point attempt, the 21-year-old immediately forwent the next free kick and passed the ball away. The next shot Dieng took was a contested three-pointer with a few seconds left on the shot clock.

If Dieng could maintain his confidence no matter how he plays, it would take his game to a new level. He had the opportunity to score in double figures, but ended up only scoring 8 points because he kept giving up open looks after a missed shot.

The only part of his game that deserves praise on the night was his central defense, although even then it was still only above average.

The Thunder could become increasingly restless about Dieng's improvement, which could lead to them pulling the plug on him at some point if he continues these lackluster performances.

Stud – Jalen Williams

Jalen Williams will be an All-Star for the Thunder this season. The young forward has crafted every part of his game so that he can finish this season as a top-25 or even top-20 player.

He's that good!

At the start of training camp, coach Mark Daigneault made it clear that he wanted Jalen Williams to shoot more three-pointers every game. In these early stages of pre-season, it appears as if he is doing just that.

Williams finished his half with 15 points while going 3-for-6 from distance. Last year he only shot three times from distance per game, so these numbers already show that he is ready to double the number of shots he takes.

The 23-year-old has also made a name for himself as one of the best slashers and drivers in the league. This season should be no different.

Adding his 3-point shooting into the mix can create gaps where defenders are on their heels, resulting in Williams having a clear path to the basket.

What is certain for Jalen Williams is that he will establish himself as a true second option on this team with his newly acquired 3-point shot in the preseason.

Dud – Chet Holmgren’s shot

This may come as a surprise, but Chet Holmgren wasn't shooting the ball well to start the night. The Thunder can't afford such appearances from the big man.

Chet finished the game with 10 points and went 2-7 from the field. He also grabbed six rebounds in this game.

Most of his shots came from mid-range or behind the 3-point line, although only one of his attempts from distance was converted. All night long it seemed like he was holding back every time he shot.

Maybe it's a new form he's trying out, or it could be the fact that it was a bad night.

His lackluster shooting was also evident early on at the free throw line as he started the game 1-for-4 from the charity stripe.

Luckily, Holmgren managed to salvage that aspect of his performance, ending up making five of his eight total attempts from the free throw line, but that still doesn't feel right for a center known for his shooting ability.

Stud – Aaron Wiggins

Aaron Wiggins is the player on this squad who can do it all. On the field he is practically a Swiss Army knife.

At the start of the second half, the wing was pretty much the only player who could get to the basket and get something going for the Thunder. He drove and finished through contact, his jump shot looked good, grabbed multiple boards and appeared to be the best defender on the court at times.

The only thing that could have improved his performance was that we could have used that kind of Aaron Wiggins early in the game. However, he once again saved the basketball when he was on the court.

With more of these performances, Wiggins could be in the running for the final starting spot.

Duds – Dillon Jones

After a great first preseason game against Spurs, Dillon Jones came back down to earth in this match against Houston. Overall, it wasn't a great night for the Weber State rookie.

His poor performance really came to light when Jones committed four fouls in the third quarter. This prompted Coach Daigneault to send him back to the bench where he cooled down.

We didn't see Jones again until the fourth quarter, but he eventually fouled out.

While he was on the pitch, there seemed to be little for fans to write home about. His midrange jumper looked good, but that was the only thing on his mind. He would find ways to get to the paint but could never complete any of his layups.

There was speculation that he might get some minutes during the regular season, but more appearances like this and we could see Ajay Mitchell grabbing those minutes ahead of him.

Dillon Jones has the tools, however, and he should be fine with a tweak coming soon.