Hornets advance to Summer League Finals with victory over OKC Thunder

Championship level basketball in Charlotte. Sort of.

The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 109 to 80 on Saturday night in the Summer League Semifinals, securing the team a spot in the Summer League Finals against the Sacramento Kings.

The squad was without Liam McNeeley, Sion James, and Tidjane Salaun again, but it did not matter. This game was nearly an identical copy of Thursday's victory over the Spurs. After a close first quarter, the Hornets went on to run away with the game. The Hornets held a 20-point lead going into halftime, and during the third quarter were able to extend the lead to 32 points.

It was another all-around excellent game from the entire roster. 25 points from Jaylen Sims, 17 from Kon Knueppel, 13 from MJ Walker, 12 from PJ Hall, and 10 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals from Damion Baugh.

The Hornets will face the Sacramento Kings tomorrow night at 10 PM EST for the Summer League championship.

Best of the Night: Jaylen Sims

Sims has had an excellent Summer League. He averaged 12.3 points across the first four Summer League games and excelled in tonight's game. Sims had 25 points on 10-14 from the field, and 4-6 from three. It was one of the best games from anybody during Summer League, and it should help his push to secure a two-way spot in the NBA.

Worst of the Night: Trying to decide who gets the final two-way spot

The Hornets have received an interesting problem: where will the final two-way spot go to? It's currently owned by Damion Baugh, but of course, things can change. PJ Hall has an excellent case to receive the spot, giving the Hornets good center depth. Jaylen Sims has been a problem for opposing teams in the Summer League so far, as highlighted above. Damion Baugh owns the spot, and while his scoring has been streaky, his perimeter defense and playmaking have been fantastic.

Without a doubt, all three are deserving of a two-way, whether it be by the Hornets or another team.

Highlight of the Night: Damion Baugh behind-the-back, no look dime to PJ Hall

"Damion Baugh plays like a guy who just watched Magic Johnson highlights I can’t explain it"

Damion Baugh with the slick behind-the-back dime to find PJ Hall in transition for the jam 👀

Hornets have the lead midway through the 2Q! pic.twitter.com/ZR2O37hpB2
— NBA (@NBA) July 19, 2025

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