Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder probably thought that they would have a cakewalk against the Charlotte Hornets at Paycom Center on Monday.
Nothing about this night made sense if you walked into it blind. The Oklahoma City Thunder were run off their own floor by a Charlotte Hornets team that came in with a 12-23 record and nothing resembling momentum.
With the 30-6 Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Charlotte Hornets, you might have expected a blowout. Just not one with the Hornets on the winning side.
The Thunder started to look like its old self once again. After four shocking losses in six games, Oklahoma City needed to get back on track. The team’s armor was certainly cracked by the Spurs — and it’s still a problem that, for all intents and purposes, hasn’t been solved yet.
Part of what makes the NBA, or any pro sports league, so compelling to watch is the narratives, especially those centered on rivalries. Throughout the decades, the NBA has fostered a number of rivalries, some long-lasting and others short but sweet.
Jalen Williams is still trying to find his "New Normal," according to Mark Daigneault, following offseason wrist surgery. This rehab process has been difficult as the Santa Clara product missed all of training camp and has so far only been active for 17 games.
Phoenix Suns All-Star Devin Booker sent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder home on a 35-foot step-back three-pointer with 1.6 seconds left to close out a 108-105 win on Sunday.
The Oklahoma City Thunder sit atop the NBA with a 30-6 record. The San Antonio Spurs, who currently hold the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, are 4.5 games behind OKC in the standings with a 25-10 mark.
Since coming off a strong start to the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder are facing certain hiccups in their games. Between tough losses to the Spurs and getting beat in the clutch against West teams, nothing has been easy.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will look to start another winning streak on Monday night when they host the Charlotte Hornets. The NBA-best Thunder saw their four-game winning streak come to an abrupt halt with a 108-105 setback to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 30 points in 28 minutes, Chet Holmgren gathered 15 rebounds as part of a double-double and the Oklahoma City Thunder thumped the short-handed Golden State Warriors 131-94 on Friday night in San Francisco.
A Thunder player has been named the Western Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month for a second consecutive time. After guard Cason Wallace won the award for October/November, big man Chet Holmgren has earned the honor for December, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
Nothing has been easy for the Oklahoma City Thunder over the years. We’ve seen how the team was struggling to win a championship since moving into Oklahoma, and their competitive level was unwavering, too.