* Chet Holmgren was excellent as he notched his fifth game scoring 20+ points. Holmgren had 25 on 10-of-20 shooting, while adding 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block. To me, seeing Chet take 20 shots is a clear indication of a man being assertive offensively, and I dig it.
* Another ho-hum night for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Shai had 33 points, 13-of-19 from the field, 3-of-4 from three, 4-of-5 from the line, 7 assists, 1 turnover in 29 minutes.
* Shai took another fourth quarter off.
> Most points this season:456 — SGA404 — SGA without 4th quarters
>
> 384 — Tyrese Maxey [pic.twitter.com/UNePcXxHpk](https://t.co/UNePcXxHpk?ref=dailythunder.com)
— StatMuse (@statmuse) [November 16, 2025](https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1989893296177471774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=dailythunder.com)
* More Shai superlatives. With another 30-point night, SGA passes Russell Westbrook for second-most 30-point games in Thunder franchise history. SGA also has more games with 30+ points and 5 or fewer free throws than anyone else in the league. So, please put aside the free-throw merchant stuff.
* Based on the eye test, this felt like a quieter Ajay Mitchell night. And then you look at the box score, and a modest night for the former second-round pick is 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal.
* With Jaylin Williams out, Branden Carlson got some extended minutes, and he was solid. Not perfect, but also not invisible. Carlson finished with 7 points, including a sweet dunk and a big time three.
* I said last night was a ho-hum SGA game, well this was also a ho-hum Isaiah Hartenstein (insert sarcasm emoji). Twelve points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists. Hart is such a reliable contributor.
* Lu Dort returned after an 11-day absence and, honestly, looked a little rusty. The typical Dort intensity was there, but a game against the Hornets is a nice way to shake off some rust.
* Charlotte was seriously shorthanded, but they weren't about to lay down. The pre-game line stretched to +17.5, which is, candidly, absurd. The Hornets knocked down 16 threes and kept pace with the Thunder for an entire half.
* I did not like the Hornets' court and the Thunder blue jerseys together. My eyes are too old for this kind of matchy-match.
* OKC's on a 76-win pace.
One Key Takeaway
----------------
The Oklahoma City Thunder wasn't sharp. The team shot the ball pretty well (51% from the floor, 48% from three) but was loose with the ball. As proof, OKC had 14 turnovers, 10 in the first half alone.
In fairness, this had trap game written all over it. The Thunder had just claimed two statement-making wins against the Warriors and Lakers and was up against a struggling Hornets team made even worse without some of its best players, including LaMelo Ball.
Ultimately, this was an entirely different kind of flex. OKC is just, very clearly, better, even against a motivated opponent trying to punch above its weight.