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.