The Charlotte Hornets authored arguably their best win of the 2025–26 NBA season the other day with a 124–97 rout of the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder. It was complete domination from start to finish, and while it may have been an aberration, it was still a satisfying win for a franchise that hasn’t had much to celebrate.
Yes, you read that right. Seeing the Thunder, the defending NBA champions, on the wrong side of a blowout wasn’t part of anybody’s bingo card, yet they suffered a brutal loss at the hands of an unlikely culprit—the 12th-seeded Hornets.
The Hornets handed the Thunder their seventh loss this season after a 27-point victory on the road, 124–97, which naturally sent a big buzz across the league (no pun intended), especially as it was right on OKC’s home floor. However, those who saw the massacre in Paycom Center quickly noticed a few glaring things that allowed Charlotte to beat the champions without breaking a sweat—the same champions who were once deemed to be unbeatable. And, for what it’s worth, those same four reasons are also why Charlotte is low-key fun to watch and trending in the right direction despite their losing record.
1. Hot Shooting
Indeed, the Thunder take pride in being the NBA’s best defensive team. They did make the Hornets work for every play and, as a result, recorded 14 steals and forced a total of 21 turnovers.
Although the Hornets were surrendering bad possessions, they still were able to counteract the Thunder’s intense defensive pressure by making their shots and draining threes efficiently and without fail. After the game, Buzz City finished 41-for-77 (53.2%) from the field and shot an outstanding 19-for-37 (51.4%) from deep. Brandon Miller alone converted 7 of his 10 triples. Meanwhile, impressive rookie Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball combined to go 9-for-14 from long range, proving just how hot their hands were, even against the best defenders in the league.
Miller finished the game with 28 points and 6 rebounds, while Knueppel and Ball chipped in 23 and 16 points, respectively.
2. Sion James and Moussa Diabate: Defensive Stoppers
While the Hornets shot the lights out, the Thunder struggled to find shots throughout the game. They were visibly having difficulties from all parts of the floor. Their 34-for-93 (36.6%) shooting was undeniable proof that their offense was out of place.
As expected, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC in scoring with 21 points, extending his streak of recording 20+ points per game. But he had to bleed for his points throughout, as Sion James and Moussa Diabate took turns defending him tenaciously. While it may not reflect on the box score, both James and Diabate showed great effort in clamping down the reigning MVP, holding him to just 7-for-21 (30%) shooting on the night. Now, James and Diabate probably aren’t stars, but their defensive work is certainly a net positive.
3. Hornets’ Rebounding
The Hornets played extremely physical, especially in the paint, which allowed them to crash the boards more effectively compared to the Thunder. By the beginning of the fourth quarter, it looked over even before the buzzer.
The rebound disparity was astonishing, as Charlotte outrebounded Oklahoma by 19, 52–33. To be fair, the Hornets played a tired Thunder team that had just returned to Oklahoma City after a grueling loss against the Phoenix Suns. Regardless, the Hornets’ rebounding proved to be one of the difference-makers in this rout, and it is something they can continue doing with their size, athleticism, and relentlessness.
4. Kon Knueppel Gunning for Rookie of the Year
The Hornets really struck gold after drafting Kon Knueppel with their fourth pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The former Duke Blue Devil has been nothing short of amazing and has been one of the frontrunners for the Rookie of the Year race alongside former Blue Devils teammate Cooper Flagg.
In the blowout win against the Thunder, Knueppel logged 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in yet another great game. The 20-year-old small forward is averaging 19.5 points, 3.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game on 48.3-43.5-87.9 shooting splits—not bad for someone just viewed as a spot-up shooter by some entering the draft.
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While the Hornets are still near the bottom of the standings overall, Charlotte fans can certainly take joy and pride in the team’s belt-to-butt blowout of the defending champs, whom pundits thought a while back would break the all-time record for wins in a season. Hornets fans can also look forward to better days, as the formula the team used to overwhelm OKC is something the team can replicate more consistently moving forward.
