By Paris Lawson | Broadcast and Digital Reporter | okcthunder.com
THE BIG PICTURE
The Hornets performed as advertised offensively on Friday and jumped out to an early 17-point lead after the first quarter. Though the Thunder responded in the third quarter with a determined run to shave the lead down to single digits, Charlotte weathered the storm and regained control of the ball game en route to a 121-98 victory.
Highlights: OKC at CHA
MOMENTS FROM THE 48
Responding out of Halftime
Charlotte, who is fourth in the league in points in the paint and second in fast break points, gained its rhythm early in the ball game by fueling its offense at all three levels of the floor. After the first quarter, the Hornets had built up a sizeable 17-point lead and carried it into halftime behind 26 fast break points and 30 points in the paint over the first two quarters.
The Thunder threw its biggest punch of the game in the third quarter to the tune of a 19-7 run which cut what was once a 22-point Charlotte lead down to just eight. Stringing together strong defensive efforts with a sharp downhill attack on the other end of the floor gave the Thunder enough momentum to make it a single-digit ball game and also limited Charlotte to just seven fast break points in the second half.
“We got stops really made them settle down and play against our half-court defense and then we get out and get shots,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. ”We didn't turn over very much in that stretch, got good looks and just repeated that possession after possession.”
However, Charlotte wouldn’t stay quiet for long. The Hornets’ quickly regained their early offensive rhythm and answered with an extended 24-9 run that rebuilt the lead and put the Thunder out of reach for the rest of the contest.
“Transition defense was a big point of emphasis for us come into the game we knew they like to get out and run,” said Thunder guard Josh Giddey. “They're an athletic lineup, so it can be tough to guard at times. They made shots, we were late on close outs. A lot of things went into them tonight, but offensively they were good.”
Shai’s Scoring Night
The Thunder’s offense sustained a steady rhythm throughout the night and it was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who ignited the Thunder offense with a game-high 29 points, six rebounds and eight assists. The league leader in drives per game engaged his determined efforts to attack the rim and finished the night with 18 points in the paint and a near-perfect 8-for-9 performance from the charity stripe.
Josh Giddey also contributed massively to the Thunder’s paint scoring effort with 18 paint points of his own on an efficient 69-percent shooting clip.
“I thought both of them played good floor games, made good decisions and got their cracks,” said Daigneault. “We were able to get downhill. We did some good things there.”
Rookies Stuff the Stat Sheet
Giddey’s 18 points in the paint contributed to his career high 21-point effort against the Hornets. For the night, the rookie shot an efficient 10-for-17 from the field while pulling down nine rebounds and dishing out three assists.
“Just trying to be aggressive,” said Giddey. “They play small ball, they switch a lot of stuff, trying to exploit late switches and late coverages, but just playing downhill trying to get on the ring.”
In addition, rookie big man Jeremiah Robinson-Earl posted his third career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
THE LAST WORD
WHAT'S NEXT
OKC closes out its four-game road trip on the second night of a back-to-back. The Thunder will head to Cleveland, Ohio for a rematch against the Cavaliers on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.