Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder used a dominant third quarter to pull away from the Charlotte Hornets in a 109–96 win Saturday night at Spectrum Center.
The defending champions improved to 13–1 and extended their winning streak to five games.
Chet Holmgren added 25 points and eight rebounds, impacting both ends of the floor during the decisive second-half stretch. His activity on the boards helped Oklahoma City control tempo after a tightly contested opening half.
The game featured 11 ties and 11 lead changes before the Thunder seized momentum. They used a 16–1 run across four minutes in the third quarter to turn a 55–52 halftime lead into a 15-point cushion.
Oklahoma City entered the fourth quarter ahead 87–70 and never allowed Charlotte to close within single digits.
Ajay Mitchell scored 14 points off the bench, continuing his strong early-season production. Isiah Hartenstein added 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Cason Wallace finished with 10 points while providing perimeter stability.
Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 15 points, though Charlotte struggled to score in the third quarter, shooting 7-of-24 as Oklahoma City tightened its defense.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Collin Sexton, and Moussa Diabate each scored 13 points, with Diabate adding 11 rebounds off the bench. Charlotte hit 16 threes but could not match the Thunder’s efficiency across the second half.
The Hornets played without Brandon Miller, who remained out with a shoulder subluxation, and LaMelo Ball, who sat the second half of a back-to-back after returning Friday from an ankle impingement.
Gilgeous-Alexander set the tone early with 18 first-half points, and Holmgren’s aggressiveness inside helped Oklahoma City withstand Charlotte’s hot perimeter shooting. The Thunder finished the night shooting 51% from the field and held the Hornets to 18 third-quarter points.
Oklahoma City heads to New Orleans on Monday looking to extend its early-season surge, while Charlotte travels to Toronto seeking to end a slide and regain rhythm with a healthier roster.
