Thunder Open Preseason with 135–114 Win Over Hornets

The defending NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder began their preseason with a 135–114 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night at North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, South Carolina.

Aaron Wiggins led Oklahoma City with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting, including 13 in the first quarter as the Thunder built an early double-digit lead and never trailed. Coach Mark Daigneault praised Wiggins's standout performance. "He’s obviously got the skill and the talent to have nights like tonight; we’ve seen that many times. Some guys that have that when they’re in a primary role have a hard time sliding into a secondary role, and you really can put him in any role and he’s going to thrive and remain efficient and remain inside the team."

Ousmane Dieng added 17 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while Jaylin Williams scored 17 points and hit five three-pointers. Rookie guard Nikola Topić recorded 10 points and a team-high seven assists in his preseason debut.

Playing without several regulars—including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, and Lu Dort—the Thunder shot 53.2% from the field and 40.8% from deep.

Charlotte rookie Kon Knueppel led the Hornets with 18 points, while LaMelo Ball and Collin Sexton each added 11.

The Thunder outscored Charlotte 17–8 in fast break points and led by as many as 29. Oklahoma City plays again tomorrow night at 7:30 pm against the Dallas Mavericks in Fort Worth, Texas. The game will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network and on KSBI over the air.