The Oklahoma City Thunder lost a close one in crunch time on Sunday night in Phoenix as the Suns rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat the Thunder on a last-second three-pointer by Devin Booker. The Thunder struggled to get to the free-throw line—something that Phoenix did well—and in the end, it was the Suns who were able to hit big shots, primarily from beyond the arc. OKC has no time to rest, though, as they host the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.
The Oklahoma City Thunder has begun the 2025-26 campaign on fire, rolling to a franchise-best 12-1 start after wins against the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers in back-to-back nights earlier this week. Now they have a dip in the schedule against some bottom-tier teams in the league, starting with the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder gets to play in front of the home crowd for the first time since winning Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers back in June, and even though it’s just a preseason game, the fans are sure to welcome them back with plenty of excitement. OKC is 1-1 through their first two preseason games: a 135-114 win over the Hornets in Charlotte on Sunday and a 106-89 loss to the Mavericks in Dallas on Monday. Now the Thunder plays host to the Hornets.
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Down most of the starting lineup on Wednesday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder fared just fine against the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers. Since then, OKC has clinched the 1-seed in the Western Conference. With just 12 games to go and nothing to do for moving position in the standings, the Thunder could cruise into the postseason, but I don’t anticipate that happening. They get a chance to keep the pedal to the floor on Friday night as they host the Charlotte Hornets.
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A spread this high isn’t exactly common, but the Thunder has consistently played well against teams below .500, and the Hornets are on the brink of playoff elimination, so it makes sense that a blowout is expected. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Hartentsein are both back in the lineup tonight after getting Wednesday’s game off, but as was evident that night against the 76ers, OKC’s depth is capable of running a pretty decent show. I’m guessing Shai drops another 30 points through three quarters, and the bench fights to cover the spread.
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Despite missing Luguentz Dort and Cason Wallace to injury, the Thunder is a far better team than the Hornets. Charlotte may also be missing LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, their top two scorers. Either way, OKC should be able to win this one handily.
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OKC is still without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is back home in OKC staying conditioned in anticipation of his return from a quad injury, and Jalen Williams is listed as questionable for tonight with a sprained ankle, but it makes sense that he would make his return after sitting out the last three contests. The Hornets are also down a few key players, including star point guard LaMelo Ball who has missed the majority of this season with a knee injury.
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Charlotte is as healthy as they have been all season, and I’m sure that’s why they’re a slight favorite over OKC, despite the fact that the Thunder has been playing far superior basketball as of late. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the best player in this game, and despite the news of Poku’s injury, I still think OKC has the better team, and they should get the win road tonight.
View More Thunder Against the Spread | OKC Should Look Good Against Hornets in Charlotte
The Oklahoma City Thunder is fresh off a 130-114 win against the San Antonio Spurs, one of the largest margins of victory for OKC all season so far. The Spurs aren’t a great team, but the Thunder has been playing solid basketball lately, and they will look to continue that tonight as they take on the Charlotte Hornets on the road.
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The Thunder did their best to stage a comeback last night against the Memphis Grizzlies, and despite trailing by double digits late in the fourth quarter, they managed to cut the deficit to 6 in the final minute. Memphis won, but OKC covered easily. Charlotte enters tonight’s game after a couple days of rest, while the Thunder is playing the second game of a back-to-back. Still, the Hornets are not used to being double-digit favorites on the road, and as electric as the home crowd was last night, I anticipate an energized Thunder squad that should cover the spread and might even manage to pull out a win.
View More Thunder Against the Spread | Expect a High Score Against the Hornets