OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell led his team to a 125-114 win over the Phoenix Suns. In the same game, Cason Wallace suffered a torn left shoulder against the LA Clippers; things got worse. Jalen Williams was carted off the court with a torn fibula and a dislocated left ankle. In the Thunder's first game since losing two starters, Mitchell scored a career-high 30 points in a 125-114 win against the Phoenix Suns.

Stepping into an increased role amidst injuries isn't new for Mitchell, who filled in often for Williams last season, but also reprised a sixth-man role for the 2026-27 season. However, becoming a new starter for head coach Mark Daigneault could be the new norm for Mitchell.

“Being able to change pace — I think — is really important. Ever since I got here, it's just working on that,” Mitchell said. “Obviously, I get to learn from the best. It's just something that I want to keep working on, and keep getting better at. I'm happy with the win tonight and what we've done. It's what matters.”

Ajay Mitchell went 10-for-16 from the floor and was nearly perfect from the free-throw line (9-for-10) in the Thunder's win over the Suns. He also finished with five assists, two rebounds, and one block. After the victory, Mitchell said he first learned he set a new career high after scoring 27 of his 30 points against the Suns.

“When I got back to the bench, I heard a couple of congrats. I was like, ‘Oh, that's pretty cool.' I'm just glad we got the win,” Mitchell said. “Prayers up to JDub, Caso, Otega. It's hard to see guys go down, especially when you know how much they've worked. But we've got their back, and they're tough. I believe God has a plan for us. And that's all that matters.”

After Thunder players watched Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace sustain long-term injuries in the first leg of a back-to-back, Ajay Mitchell discussed the 24 hours leading up to Oklahoma City's matchup against the Suns.

“It's tough for all of us. It just kind of didn't feel real. But we kind of felt like we had to do that for him,” Mitchell added. “I know how hard those guys wanna be out playing. So the only thing we could do was go out there, compete at the highest level, and get a win for them. I think that was our mindset. We know we gotta have their backs.”

Looking ahead to the challenge for Mitchell and the Thunder, stepping into a bigger role has never been a problem for the third-year guard.

“I always looked at it as I wanna do whatever the team needs me to do to win,” Mitchell said. “And when we're all healthy, it might still be aggressive, and do your thing. That's really all I'm focused [on]. It's about our team. How can I help this team win? Obviously, with those guys out, I knew I probably had to come out and be even more aggressive. But I gotta stay myself no matter what. No matter who's in, who's out, and figure out a way to help the team win. So, that's my mindset going into every game.

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“And it's not going to change because we have guys out. Obviously, I'm aware there might be more for me to do. But that's just part of basketball. At the end of the day, we're just trying to figure out a way to win one game at a time.”

With a shorthanded Thunder team that also lost Alex Caruso to a sprained ankle in Monday's game against the Suns and was without All-Star Chet Holmgren due to patellar tendinitis, Mitchell expects his teammates to step up.

“I believe in every single player on our team,” Mitchell stated. “Everyone has an impact on winning a game, and we saw it tonight.”

Mitchell and the Thunder will look to extend their perfect start to 5-0 when they face the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.