Deonte Burton had only played three minutes before he’d gone through a rite of passage for any young perimeter player against the Houston Rockets.

In the third quarter of the Thunder’s 117-112 win against the Rockets on Saturday, Burton was inserted into the midst of OKC’s record-setting comeback, only to get isolated by James Harden. Burton fouled Harden shooting a 3-pointer, nothing to be ashamed of for a rookie on a two-way contract with just 17 games of NBA experience.

Burton didn’t play in the first two games against the Rockets this season. By the end of Saturday’s game, Burton had been a key contributor to the biggest comeback in Thunder regular-season history, a 26-point rally in which Burton had three key rebounds and some tough defensive assignments in 10 minutes.

The Thunder didn’t expect Burton and second-year wing Abdel Nader to even play significant minutes this season. But with Andre Roberson still rehabbing his left knee and Alex Abrines waived on Saturday, Burton was the latest dip into the Thunder’s depth reserves.