Five in Double Figures as Thunder Fall to Hornets

Three Oklahoma City players topping 20 points wasn't enough on Thursday night as the Thunder were unable to overcome the Hornets on the road.

Despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Lu Dort all scoring more than 20 points, Oklahoma City fell 121-113 on Thursday night in Charlotte. Five Thunder players scored 10-or-more points, while the other six players to see the floor for OKC all finished with less than five. 

Gilgeous-Alexander continued his remarkable season, tallying 28 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals while shooting 11-of-23 from the field and 1-of-3 from 3-point range in 36 minutes of action. Like usual, the Thunder's superstar got his buckets in the midrange and at the rim. 

Dort, on the other hand, knocked down a team-high five triples on Thursday evening en route to a 22-point performance. Oklahoma City's defensive standout shot 7-for-13 from the field while notching two assists, two steals and one rebound in 28 minutes on the floor. 

Dort's offense has improved as the season has progressed. While the majority of his points came from behind the arc against the Hornets, the 6-foot-3 wing flashed ability off the dribble as well, dashing by Charlotte star LaMelo Ball and finishing a reverse layup at the rim. 

Second-year guard Josh Giddey was the third OKC player to top 20 points, finishing with 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field. The 6-foot-8 19-year-old went 0-for-3 from downtown, but knocked down all seven of his free throw attempts. 

Giddey pulled down 10 rebounds and dished out three assists in addition to one steal in 33 minutes.

Rookie wing Jalen Williams also finished in double figures, shooting 5-of-9 from the field in 27 minutes on the court. The October/November Western Conference Rookie of the Month recorded 15 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal. 

Off the bench, second-year guard Tre Mann tallied 17 points, three rebounds and two assists while shooting 8-of-19 from the field in 23 minutes. Since returning to the NBA from his brief stint in the G League, Mann is averaging over 14 points per game. 

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