Brandon Miller scored 28 points to help lift the Charlotte Hornets to a 124-97 road victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
The win was the Hornets’ first over the Thunder since March 2023 and the first for any Eastern Conference opponent in Oklahoma City in a regular-season matchup since March 2024. The Thunder hadn’t lost to an Eastern Conference team anywhere since Jan. 8, 2025 at Cleveland.
The Thunder hadn’t scored fewer than 101 points in any game this season, nor had they lost a game by more than 20 points before Monday’s blowout.
Charlotte wrapped up its three-game road trip with back-to-back wins.
Miller went 7-for-10 from 3-point range. Kon Knueppel had 23 points with five 3-pointers, Miles Bridges contributed 17 points and 11 rebounds and Moussa Diabate had a team-high 12 boards.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points to lead Oklahoma City, narrowly stretching his streak of games with 20 or more points to 108. He was 7 of 21 from the floor and 1 of 6 from beyond the arc. Jalen Williams had 16 points and Chet Holmgren scored 15.
After Oklahoma City shot 59.1% in the first quarter, the Thunder offense cooled in the second. The Hornets took over, stretching their lead to as big as 19.
It was nearly five minutes into the quarter before Oklahoma City hit a shot from the field, missing their first 11 shots. The Thunder forced four turnovers during that stretch but couldn’t take advantage.
The Thunder went just 4 of 26 from the floor and 3 of 12 from beyond the arc in the second as Charlotte outscored them 34-17.
Miller had 19 points by halftime as the Hornets led 67-50.
In the first meeting between the teams, a 109-96 Thunder win, the third quarter was the difference-maker.
Oklahoma City has been excellent coming out of halftime this season but fell flat Monday in the second night of a back-to-back, as the Hornets steadily pulled away to lead by 28 points going into the fourth.
The Hornets finished 51.4% from beyond the arc, a season-high shooting percentage from distance.
–Field Level Media
