Charlotte Hornets hand Thunder worst loss of season
Brandon Miller poured in 28 points as the Charlotte Hornets delivered a stunning 124-97 blowout of the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.
Kon Knueppel contributed 23 points for Charlotte, which had dropped three of its previous four games before handing Oklahoma City its most lopsided defeat of the season. The Thunder were held to a season-low point total and failed to reach 100 points for the first time this year, News.Az reports, citing AP.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 21 points, extending his streak to 108 consecutive games scoring at least 20 points — the second-longest run in NBA history. However, he struggled from the field, making just 7 of 21 shots. Known for often sitting out fourth quarters due to Oklahoma City’s large leads, Gilgeous-Alexander remained on the bench in the final period this time because the Thunder were trailing by a wide margin.
The loss marked Oklahoma City’s second straight defeat and only its second home loss of the season. After opening the campaign with a 24-1 start, the defending NBA champions now stand at 30-7.
Charlotte jumped out to a 21-9 advantage early, but the Thunder responded behind Ajay Mitchell’s 10 points off the bench to pull even at 33 by the end of the first quarter.
The Hornets regained control in the second period and built a 67-50 halftime lead, with Miller scoring 19 points before the break. Oklahoma City struggled at the line, converting just 8 of 15 free throws in the first half, while Gilgeous-Alexander — the league’s second-leading scorer — was limited to nine points on 3-of-12 shooting through two quarters.
Early in the third quarter, LaMelo Ball made a highlight-reel play by saving the ball from going out of bounds and then drilling an off-balance jumper from the corner with one foot on the line, pushing Charlotte’s lead to 74-55.
Miller capped the third quarter with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to extend the advantage to 99-71, and the Hornets maintained firm control the rest of the way.
Up next:
Hornets host the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
Thunder host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
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