Thunder Game Day: OKC Heads to Charlotte for Preseason Matchup

The Thunder hope to get their second win of the preseason in their last road game until opening night.

The Oklahoma City Thunder continue their preseason slate with their only road game against the Charlotte Hornets.

Much like the Thunder, the Hornets have a lot of young talent to assess before the start of the season. The Hornets are also led by their star guard, LaMelo Ball, who should provide another good challenge for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander before the season begins.

This game will also feature the two most recent second-overall picks, Chet Holmgren and Brandon Miller. While Miller will be fighting for a spot in the starting five in Charlotte, Holmgren has secured his status as Oklahoma City’s starting center and will try to build on his impressive preseason play.

Jalen Williams defends PJ Washington / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

ODDS:

The Thunder enter the day as 2.5-point favorites to the Hornets, and the total over/under is 225.5 points.

KEYS TO THE GAME:

In Gilgeous-Alexander’s preseason debut, he and the Thunder starters got out to an impressive start. In the minutes Gilgeous-Alexander was on the floor against the Pistons, the Thunder outscored them by double digits.

A similar outing against the Hornets will be expected.

Without the spectacle of Lu Dort’s homecoming, the Thunder should come out with better focus. The Thunder’s defense should help them get out to a lead.

Last season, Charlotte’s offense was the worst in the league. Charlotte’s inability to shoot from 3-point range, coupled with Holmgren’s presence around the rim should help Oklahoma City get out in transition.

With the Thunder heading into game three of their five-game preseason schedule, they may start to give further opportunities to players deep on the bench. While the main players will get some more time to gel together, the final days before the season starts will be mainly used to assess the others.

This time is especially valuable for guys such as Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Jack White, who could be on the outside looking in at the Thunder’s 15-man roster.

RECORDS:

Oklahoma City Thunder (1-1) vs. Charlotte Hornets (0-2)

INJURIES:

Check out our live injury tracker, along with our game day injury report that will release later today.

WHEN:

Sunday, October 15, 2023 at 4:00 PM CT

LOCATION:

Spectrum Center - Charlotte, NC

TV/RADIO:

Bally Sports Oklahoma, NBA League Pass, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal

FINAL WORD:

The preseason is meant to be fun and allow players to develop and fight for spots on the roster and the rotation. Through two games, there has been no shortage of fun, and it may be time for Oklahoma City to shift focus to the latter.

The Thunder head back to Oklahoma for their last two preseason games, beginning with the Milwaukee Bucks in Paycom Center on Tuesday.

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