The Hornets Just Can’t Wrangle the Thunder in Fourth Quarter Nail-biter

Despite a brief late-game comeback, Charlotte mostly trailed OKC.

Apr 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Lindy Waters III (12) / Scott Kinser-USA TODAY Sports

Charlotte, N.C. – The Charlotte Hornets just fell short to the Oklahoma City Thunder during the Hornets' next-to-last home game of the season on Sunday, ending the contest at Charlotte's Spectrum Center in a 121-118 Hornets loss to an OKC team led by guard Aaron Wiggins (26 points), forward Chet Holmgren (20 points), and guard Josh Giddey (20 points) but lacking star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, out with a quad injury.

Still, halfway through, the Hornets were shooting a burly 60% from the field as a team. And Charlotte's starters notched decent numbers: All five hit double-digit points, with Grant Williams scoring 19, Tre Mann 18, Vasilije Micić 17, Miles Bridges 15, and Brandon Miller 13.

The Hornets ended the first quarter trailing just two points, evening things up to 31-31 to start the second. But the Thunder gained a healthy 11-point lead with eight minutes left to go in the half, and they kept their lead to around ten until the third quarter. By the end of the half, Micić had a trio of three-pointers, Bridges three dunks. A mid-court pile-up with Mann and Bertāns colliding with Giddey signaled halftime, with the Hornets trailing 65-55.

By the third, the Hornets were down 81-71, but they went on a 9-0 run in the quarter's final 2:30 to make it a one-point game. Charlotte was playing good ball, even if Miller started the game struggling, and Charlotte lacked a lead most of the time. When the Hornets tied it at 88 to start the fourth quarter, the Thunder shot back with a three-point play courtesy of Holmgren.

The Hornets got as close as they could during the fourth, taking the lead for the first time, 106-105, with a tasty Nick Richards dunk. Things looked even more promising for the Hornets when they were leading 111-107. It didn't last — the Thunder struck back, then the Hornets tied it again, and ultimately the Thunder endured. The game ended 121-118, a Hornets loss. Before this game, the Hornets had won their past two home matchups against OKC; they lost 126-106 in Oklahoma City in February.

Best of the Night: The Hornets' & Thunder's Shared DNA

A nice touch for the hometown Charlotte crowd at Spectrum Center tonight was a video tribute to OKC forward Gordon Hayward, most previously a Hornet, who returned to the building for the first time since departing the team at the February trade deadline. (Although Hayward was injured tonight and did not play.) The Hornets received three of their current roster — Mann, Micić, and Bertans — for Hayward at the deadline. Last month, former Thunder forward Aleksej Pokuševski came over to the Hornets, further infusing Charlotte with some Oklahoma genetics.

Up Next: The Hornets welcome the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday (April 9) at 7 PM ET. It’s Charlotte’s final home game of the season.