OKLAHOMA CITY — Sidestepping for the 3-pointer, Aaron Wiggins knocked down the outside shot in the waning seconds of the third quarter to give OKC a 33-point lead.
No funny business was involved in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 126-106 blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets.
“We don’t take a win for granted,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “I thought we went out there, really earned the game. Especially in the first half to build that type of lead.”
Entering the contest, the Thunder were heavy favorites as the Hornets were on the complete opposite side of the competitive spectrum — OKC is a contender while Charlotte eyes lottery odds.
In the Thunder’s wire-to-wire win, they quickly built a 39-19 lead following the first quarter. A 34-point second frame saw OKC enter halftime with a comfortable 73-42 lead.
The second half was much of the same story as a 32-point third quarter saw OKC enter the final frame with a decisive 33-point lead. None of the starters played in the fourth quarter as the result of the contest was well-known by then. In total, the Thunder led by as many as 35 points.
In one of their best offensive outings of the season, the Thunder shot 59% from the field and went 17-of-36 (47.2%) from 3. They had a busy night at the free-throw line, going 21-of-27. OKC dished out 31 assists on 44 baskets.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 31 points in three quarters. Chet Holmgren had 16 points and six rebounds. Five Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Meanwhile, the Hornets — who were without LaMelo Ball — were limited to 45% shooting from the field and 14-of-31 (45.2%) from 3. A 34-point final frame helped make the shooting splits look prettier for Charlotte.
“I thought the stuff they got was earned and contested,” Daigneault said. “Especially early on. It was a team defense. We did a good job cleaning up the glass in the first half as well. And that set the tone for our offense.”
Rookie standout Brandon Miller led the way for the Hornets with 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting and 5-of-8 from 3. Miles Bridges — Charlotte’s healthy lead scorer — was limited to nine points on 3-of-16 shooting.
After an awful loss to the Detroit Pistons less than a week ago, the Thunder rebounded and handled business against a basement dweller. OKC’s first three quarters afforded it the luxury to sit out the starters in the final frame.
“We came out with a lot of respect for this specific game and the opponent,” Holmgren said. “Knowing this is the NBA and there are a lot of great teams in the league. We couldn’t take anybody lightly.”
Let’s look at Thunder player grades.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus
It was another 30-point outing for Gilgeous-Alexander as he only needed three quarters to reach that mark.
In 30 minutes, Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points on 11-of-15 shooting, nine assists, three rebounds, five steals and three blocks. He shot 8-of-10 from the free-throw line and was a game-high plus-34.
The Hornets had no answer for Gilgeous-Alexander, who toyed with Charlotte’s backcourt all game long with easy drives to the basket. With such a massive lead for most of the game, he didn’t need to take over.
The 25-year-old almost collected the rare five-by-five stat line but sat out the final frame as OKC had a lopsided win. The extra rest is always beneficial for the All-Star starter.
“On the offensive end, I thought tonight he was really on one early,” Daigneault said about Gilgeous-Alexander. “He had as good of a blend of his play and plays for other guys as he’s (had) all season. He had an unbelievable balance there in the first half of the game.”
Strip and soar ✈️ pic.twitter.com/iRH32TBD3t
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 3, 2024
SGA goes behind-the-back 👀 pic.twitter.com/gX5CtFCaFL
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 3, 2024
Chet Holmgren: B-plus
Considering the lack of center talent with Mark Williams out, Holmgren made easy work of the Hornets to turn in another impressive performance.
In 23 minutes, Holmgren had 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks. He shot 3-of-6 from 3 and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.
The 21-year-old played within the flow of the offense and was on the receiving end of plenty of quality looks throughout the game. On defense, Charlotte never discovered a rhythm or threatened to come back.
He sat out the final quarter and received much-needed rest after a hectic January.
“He’s a winning player in all aspects of what he does when he goes out there on the floor,” Holmgren said on Gilgeous-Alexander. “He understands he can’t just be a winning player on one side of the floor. He puts a lot of effort and intensity and detail on the defensive side as well.”
Swat it out 🚫 ➡️ throw it down 🔨 pic.twitter.com/0vllWiBX4o
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 3, 2024
Chet finds Wiggs on the break 🤝 pic.twitter.com/dKBxLyn2F1
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 3, 2024
N🚫t here pic.twitter.com/jcLMaBkOzA
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 3, 2024
Instant connection ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/XVBtS7PS2y
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 3, 2024
Cason Wallace: B-plus
Starting in place of Williams, Wallace continues to show his worth as someone who can seamlessly fit in with the starters when needed.
In 25 minutes, Wallace had 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and two rebounds. He shot 2-of-4 from 3. Like the rest of the starters, he sat out the final frame.
The 20-year-old helped limit Charlotte’s biggest scoring threat as Bridges had nine points on 16 shots. It was a good showing for Wallace who continues to be the Thunder’s unofficial sixth starter.
“He’s been doing a great job,” Lu Dort said on Wallace. “Feels like he’s getting better every game and I’m happy to play with him on the court.”
Directing traffic 🚦@OGandE Power Play of the Game pic.twitter.com/n5cvDQdtt3
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 3, 2024
Ousmane Dieng: B
Playing a healthy amount of minutes, Dieng took advantage of his chances against the lowly Hornets.
In 20 minutes, Dieng had 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, four assists and two rebounds. It was one of his better outings of the season as he seldomly played consistent minutes.
The second-year wing showed out early with a dunk and 3-pointer in the first quarter to help build a 20-point lead. In the final frame, he collected additional stats during the inconsequential quarter.
The dish and finish >>> pic.twitter.com/8TaNOFHbXO
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 3, 2024
