Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Leads OKC Thunder to Dominant Win Against Hornets

The Thunder built an early lead and never wavered in one of their biggest wins of the season.

After a rough patch of games to end January, the Oklahoma City Thunder had a dominant showing to begin February.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished an and-one to end the first half. That capped off an 11-2 run to put the Thunder up 31 in a game that was never close.

The Thunder beat the Charlotte Hornets 126-106 for their second straight win. They also snapped a five-game losing streak against the Hornets.

Although the Thunder’s offense struggled on Wednesday without Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe, that was not an issue in Paycom Center on Friday. The Thunder shot 58.7% from the field and 47.2% from 3-point range.

While the Thunder found out Thursday that Gilgeous-Alexander would be the team’s only All-Star this season, he showed exactly why he was selected. In one of his most impressive defensive performances, the All-Star starter finished with five steals and three blocks while leading the Thunder in scoring with 31.

Aaron Wiggins’ stepback 3-pointer to finish the third quarter put the Thunder up 33. That shot gave Wiggins a double-digit scoring night, as he was one of five Thunder players with at least 10 points.

Friday’s game was also a battle of the past two No. 2 picks in the NBA Draft. Chet Holmgren finished with 16 points, six rebounds and three blocks.

Meanwhile, Charlotte’s Brandon Miller led his team in scoring with 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting. Although Miller played well, he had little help with LaMelo Ball missing the game with a right ankle injury.

The Thunder held Miles Bridges to nine points on 3-of-16 shooting. Bridges entered the game with eight straight 20-point games but failed to get into a rhythm in Oklahoma City and finished with a plus-minus of -36.

The Thunder had an impressive first quarter, outscoring the Hornets 39-19. Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 10 points and six assists in the first 12 minutes.

Oklahoma City’s star guard also had three steals and two blocks as part of the team’s defensive effort to start the game. Charlotte’s 19 points tied for the fewest Oklahoma City has given up in the first quarter this season. 

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