On the second night of a back-to-back, the Charlotte Hornets were faced with their toughest opponent of the season: the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and Chet Holmgren added 25 as the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder used a big third quarter to beat the Charlotte Hornets 109-96 for their fifth straight win.

Preview the Oklahoma City Thunder's NBA matchup with Charlotte, including betting odds, tips, trends, and game information.

At 12-1 the Oklahoma City Thunder are off to the best start in franchise history. The OKC Thunder have needed to battle being short handed throughout this seaso

After missing six consecutive games due to a back injury, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Lu Dort 's status has been upgraded for Saturday's game against the Charlotte Hornets. The Thunder improved to 12-1 after two impressive wins against the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers at the Paycom Center.

Preview the Oklahoma City Thunder's NBA matchup with the Hornets, including betting odds, tips, trends, and game information.

The Thunder and Hornets tip off at 6 p.m. CT. This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/thunder/onsi as OKC Thunder Starter Upgraded Ahead of Bout with Hornets. The Thunder are set to take on the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night, hoping to avoid just its second loss of the 2025-26 season.

The NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder (12-1) look for their fifth straight win on Saturday night when they catch the Charlotte Hornets (4-8) on the back end of a road-home back-to-back.