OKC Thunder Received a Wake Up Call Against Charlotte

After a scorching hot, record-breaking start to the season, Oklahoma City had felt the pain of defeat over the last month. No matter how good the team is, dropping a few games over the course of an 82-game season was always bound to happen.

After three losses in the span of two weeks to San Antonio, it really felt like the Thunder had a Spurs problem. And anyone who has to guard Victor Wembanyama will certainly have a problem, but it just felt like San Antonio had Oklahoma City’s number. Sure, it was concerning considering the Thunder very well could see the Spurs in the postseason, but outside of that, it almost felt like an outlier.

Since the first loss to the Spurs, though, the flow of the game has just felt a bit different. The Thunder had some normal games where they coasted to victory, but it definitely felt like there was a crack in the armor. The defense started slipping and the Thunder were clearly relying on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s heroics.

Even in games where they won — like the Hawks — there seemed to be uncharacteristic mistakes and defensive lapses. But they still found a way to win. After the losses against San Antonio, it felt like the Thunder had momentum once again, and San Antonio was a bad matchup for Oklahoma City, an outlier.

And then came the last three days — an unexpectedly dreadful back-to-back. The Thunder — favored by 10 points — lost in Phoenix in devastating fashion. Oklahoma City was absolutely dominated on the glass, and the 3-points defense was lackluster once again. It was a winnable game and a loss that the Thunder could look back on with regret. But the alarming loss came just 24 hours — a game where the Thunder should’ve been in total bounce-back mode trying to assert dominance.

A loss to the Charlotte Hornets at home could be categorized as the Thunder’s worst loss of the season. As a matter of fact, it was the first time that Oklahoma City had lost to an Eastern Conference team in the regular season at home since March of 2024. The Hornets are an improved team this year, and certainly have a bright future, but Charlotte was 12-23 coming into the matchup and Oklahoma City was in a get-right spot.

Out of all the Thunder’s losses — which is ironic, considering they’ve lost just seven games in 37 contests — this could be the total wake up call that this team needs.

Oklahoma City has to figure things out on both sides of the floor. Getting Isaiah Hartenstein back will help, and naturally, open shots will fall at some point. But it feels like the effort and intensity has died down — the prove-it mindset from the last few years has fallen down a few notches. The Thunder’s hustle — which is there at times — hasn’t been fully on, all the time. 

Back to back losses, including one at home to Hornets, could be exactly what this team needs to get back to dominance. Oklahoma City is still in a good spot, and they have as good of a chance as anyone to hoist another NBA Finals trophy. But they’ll need to keep their foot on the gas the rest of the way.

• The Sky Is Falling on OKC Thunder, Just as Sam Presti Warned
• OKC Thunder's Recent Rebounding Ineptitude Sparking Pre-NBA Title Flashbacks
• OKC Thunder Looking to Find Early-Season Intensity Once Again
• Latest Stretch Proves Isaiah Hartenstein's Importance for OKC Thunder