Oklahoma City Thunder 135-114 preseason win over the Charlotte Hornets

Even without several regulars, the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder flexed their depth in a 135-114 preseason win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday in Charleston, SC. Aaron Wiggins led the charge with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting along with six assists, while undrafted rookie Chris Youngblood impressed off the bench with 20 points and five threes. Oklahoma City came out firing, scoring on eight of its first 11 possessions to build a 70-57 halftime lead. 

Charlotte’s rookie Kon Knueppel paced his team with 18 points, hitting four 3-pointers, while LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton, and Ryan Kalkbrenner each added 11. The Hornets briefly cut the deficit in the third quarter, but back-to-back triples from Jaylin Williams helped OKC stretch its lead to 29, sealing a dominant start to their preseason campaign.