If you navigated through the Rubik’s Cube of the streaming app service and skipped out on the afternoon slate of an NFL Sunday to watch a preseason matchup on an iPhone screen, then you’re a cut above the rest of the basketball sickos.
The Oklahoma City Thunder picked up right where they left off after a three-month offseason. They blew out the Charlotte Hornets in a 135-114 preseason win to open up their run of exhibitions.
Usually, the NBA preseason is an afterthought. When you play 82-plus regular-season games through six-plus months, you get plenty of time to learn the ins and outs of your roster. The Thunder showed their confidence when they attempted to punt in their first game.
The Thunder sat out several key players. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso and Ajay Mitchell were all out. That’s arguably their eight best rotation players out to preserve their legs for Opening Night and beyond.
Meanwhile, the Hornets went the opposite direction. They treated this as a dress rehearsal. All of their starters suited up. Let’s just say, the results show how drastically different both NBA franchises are in their directions for the upcoming season.
Running out their C squad, the Thunder destroyed the Hornets. They led the entire night. To show how quickly it’d get ugly, OKC broke open a 36-26 lead after the first quarter. The double-digit advantage remained with a 34-point second frame.
As the Thunder held a 70-57 halftime lead over the Hornets, their reserves were much more in synch than the latter’s starters. Aaron Wiggins looked like the best player on the floor despite former All-Star LaMelo Ball on the other side. Ousmane Dieng and Chris Youngblood had their moments.
The third quarter was much of the same. The Thunder continued to score points at a fast clip. They had 37 points in the third frame alone as Jaylin Williams turned into an outside sharpshooter. They held a 107-88 lead over the Hornets as they exited the frame.
That turned the fourth quarter inconsequential. Both teams emptied their benches as the final moments turned into a pseudo Summer League contest. The Thunder tallied 28 points to put the finishing touches on an impressive preseason opener win that showcased their fast-scoring offense in front of the South Carolina crowd that seldom sees NBA talent in person.
The Thunder shot 53% from the field and went 20-of-49 (40.8%) from 3. They shot 15-of-19 on free throws. They had 33 assists on 50 baskets. Seven Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Wiggins was a machine with 23 efficient points. Youngblood scored 20 points off the bench. Williams and Dieng each had 17 points. Nikola Topic finished with 10 points and seven assists. Malevy Leons had an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. Jazian Gortman scored 15 points.
Meanwhile, the Hornets shot 39% from the field and went 15-of-51 (29.4%) from 3. They shot 25-of-30 on free throws. They had 23 assists on 37 baskets. Five Hornets players scored double-digit points.
Ball had a quiet 11 points. At least Kon Knueppel was solid with 18 points in his preseason debut. Ryan Kalkbrenner and Collin Sexton each had 11 points. KJ Simpson scored 10 points.
Considering the circumstances, you had to like what you saw from the Thunder. They were without their main rotation with zero incentive to go all out against the Hornets. Meanwhile, the latter hoped for the opposite. They wanted to see how they’d match up against the NBA champion.
Considering what happened, the Hornets are a while away from being in the same stratosphere as the Thunder. They couldn’t even punish their third-string players. Now, OKC moves on as it continues a road back-to-back to start its preseason. Talk about diving into the deep end of the pool.
Let’s look at Thunder player grades:
Aaron Wiggins: A-plus
If you told the average NBA fan this game featured one former All-Star on the floor, they’d likely pick Wiggins. In what is his most fun role to see him in, the 26-year-old once again took advantage of several top players out and jettisoned to the front of the line in shot attempts.
Wiggins finished with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting, six assists and two rebounds. He shot 2-of-4 from 3 and went 1-of-1 on free throws.
Wiggins did it in the exact way he usually gets on a hot scoring run. A mixture of a tight handle and nice bag of self-creation moves to create enough space for a driving layup. The Hornets’ lack of a talented center made easy work for him to slice through their defense and swish in contested jumpers.
It only took one half before Wiggins made it obvious he was a tier above the rest. He scored 20 points in the first half on high-level efficiency. That made the decision to sit him for most of the second half a no-brainer. He showed out in front of his old buddy Tre Mann, along with several friends and family in attendance, as he grew up a state away in North Carolina.
You have to love what you saw from Wiggins if you’re the Thunder. He’s picked up right where he left off last season as a double-digit scorer for the first time in his career. He’s become one of the more reliable bucket-getters on the roster, as he can do it both on and off the ball.
This bucket is brought to you by Aaron Wiggins 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/udsuuAhfTQ
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 5, 2025
And(twenty)oneeee 💪 pic.twitter.com/P6dFr4mzrY
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 5, 2025
Jaylin Williams: A
Roaming the perimeter, Williams had it going. A slimmer version of himself might’ve done him some good from the outside. The 23-year-old caught fire from the outside as a barrage of buckets turned this into a lopsided score in a familiar scene from last season.
Williams finished with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, three assists and two rebounds. He shot 5-of-8 from 3.
It wasn’t the usual triple-double he’s produced in similar situations before, but Williams turned in a strong preseason debut. His developmental story from the outside has been one of the more underrated acquired skills over the years. He wasn’t known as an outside shooter in college at Arkansas, but he has completely flipped that in the NBA.
Now, Williams has signed a contract extension with the Thunder. He helped them win an NBA championship. And considering his smaller frame, he could become an even more versatile player who could play all three frontcourt positions this upcoming season.
Ousmane Dieng: A-minus
Going for a poster, Dieng’s miss didn’t discourage him. In fact, the ball quickly returned to his hands. He forgot about the miscue and hunted a contested mid-range jumper. Progress. Maybe not the type you’d like to see in your fourth season, but that aggressive approach took some time to happen.
Dieng finished with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting, eight rebounds and six assists. He also shot 3-of-6 from 3. He had one steal.
This was a great all-around performance. There were some ugly moments, but Dieng looked like an NBA rotation player, which is a long way from his previous long-term developmental project time. He managed to hit on several difficult turnaround jumpers.
The touch is there for Dieng. It’s about doing it consistently. Time might run out in OKC to see that materialize, but this preseaosn outing shows that he could put up numbers in the right situation. All he needs is to be on an NBA team that isn’t hoping to become a repeat champion.
Okay Ous 😤 pic.twitter.com/oeICQAFFaR
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 5, 2025
Chris Youngblood: A-plus
That’s one way to make yourself the early favorite to grab the final two-way spot. The Youngblood honeymoon is back on after a two-month hiatus. He quickly reminded folks why so many fans campaigned for OKC to add him to its final roster spot.
Youngblood finished with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, three rebounds and one assist. He shot 5-of-8 from 3 and 1-of-4 on free throws. He also had four steals.
You can get lost in the minutiae of basketball, but the simple truth of outside shooting always being a hot commodity always sticks in the back of your mind. Youngblood is a textbook example of that. His quick jumper and elite efficiency numbers make him an enticing candidate to join the Thunder after he went undrafted out of Alabama.
The final two-way spot next to Branden Carlson and Brooks Barnhizer could come down to their Exhibit 10 invites. And from that group of four, Youngblood is the guy who’s caught the attention of the entire fanbase for all of the right reasons.
Nikola Topic: B-minus
After over a year since he was drafted with the No. 12 pick, Topic finally put on the standard Thunder uniform for the first time. Once they announced that all of the starters plus more would sit out, all eyes shifted to the 20-year-old and what he could do as the primary ball-handler.
Topic finished with 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting, seven assists and four rebounds. He shot 0-of-3 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had one steal.
While Topic didn’t grab headlines, he lived up to his player profile. The passes were fun and he facilitated to his teammates, but the jumper remains a work in progress. At least you have to admire his willingness to look for outside shots.
Let’s see how the rest of the preseason looks for Topic. He’s an intriguing prospect who could help them fill out a backup point guard role. If not, he could spend significant time on the G League’s OKC Blue, as the NBA champion won’t find time to play him.
GPS said drive straight to the rim 🚙 pic.twitter.com/he9XWr4s9K
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 5, 2025
An assist you can’t miss + another Thunder three 👀@OGandE Power Play of the Game pic.twitter.com/ToNcz9ADAz
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 5, 2025
Highlights:
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder backups swat Hornets in 135-114 preseason win
