Giddey Shines as Thunder Fall to Hornets in Preseason Opener

The Charlotte Hornets rolled out a fairly seasoned roster against the Thunder on Monday night, coasting to a 113-97 over Oklahoma City in the newly renamed Paycom Center.

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander picked up right where he left off last season, scoring nine points, dishing four assists and grabbing three rebounds in just over 16 minutes of play.

Unfortunately for the Thunder, Charlotte guard LaMelo Ball continued his same rhythm, scoring 15 points and adding six rebounds and five assists in the win. Ball was hot from the get-go as the Hornets grabbed an early lead in the first quarter and never looked back.

James Bouknight, the Hornets first round selection in the 2021 NBA Draft, who was rumored to be taken by Oklahoma City, finished with 20 points on 6-for-12 shooting.

Thunder fans got their first true look at sixth overall pick Josh Giddey in Monday night’s contest. Giddey played in just five minutes of Summer League play before turning his ankle.

Giddey fit right in, showcasing his innate passing ability and feel around the rim. He finished with a team-high 18 points, and tacked on seven rebounds and three assists. He shot 8-for-12 from the floor and 2-for-4 from three in 28 minutes played.

Dort was OKC’s leading scorer heading into halftime, finishing with 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting in the first half to go along with his patented defense.

Aleksej Pokusevski, easily Oklahoma City’s most polarizing player, had an up-and-down game. The incoming second-year’s offense looked much improved, shooting 4-for-12 from the floor and finishing with 11 points, four rebounds and one assist.

On defense, Pokusevski at times looked lost, but his increased productivity was apparent.

Aaron Wiggins, who only saw action in the fourth quarter, scored 12 points off the bench. His spark plug scoring helped negate some of the damage done by Charlotte earlier in the game.

Oklahoma City struggled from the charity stripe overall, shooting just 16-for-23 (69%).

The Thunder now look to a matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m.

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