OKLAHOMA CITY — With half of the folks still sporting their NBA championship gear, fans in attendance for the preseason home opener got their money’s worth and then some. For one half, they were able to watch real regular-season basketball before the plug was pulled.

The Oklahoma City Thunder enjoyed a 122-116 win over the Charlotte Hornets. The first half was a reminder from most of the former’s starters why they’re the reigning NBA champions and all of the records they broke on their way to that destination last season.

In his first preseason outing, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander quickly reminded folks why he’s the reigning MVP. A four-month gap between games could’ve made people’s memories a little hazy. But dancing with multiple defenders and dissecting Charlotte’s defense without breaking a sweat showed you why OKC is viewed as the consensus favorite.

The Thunder had a 31-21 lead after the first quarter. As Gilgeous-Alexander went off the floor, the bench lineup had their turn to get into a groove. They eventually led by as many as 20 points. After it looked like OKC would put in a second straight blowout against Charlotte, the Hornets closed on a 20-8 run to make things interesting.

Tre Mann turned into a microwave scorer. He scored bucket after bucket. The Hornets scored 36 points in the second frame to make it a closer contest. The Thunder only had a 64-57 halftime lead. Even though it became a single-digit contest, you had to like what you saw from the OKC starters in their first preseason action.

The second half turned into real preseason basketball. The Thunder cleared their bench. Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe had the chance to become the primary scorers. Cason Wallace hit a circus shot that went viral on social media. They flexed their depth and dropped 36 points in the third frame to create a 100-85 lead over the Hornets.

As both sides emptied their bench, most folks tuned out for the fourth quarter. That said, the Hornets made one last run. A 23-9 run to start the frame suddenly made it a one-possession game. Moussa Diabate turned it into a 108-105 contest with a little over four minutes left.

The Thunder’s fourth-string players closed it out. The offense might’ve dried up, but they hit on timely buckets. Jazzian Gortman swished in a couple of jumpers and Zach Austin threw down a ferocious dunk in the final moments to ensure they didn’t blow a 20-point lead in preseason.

While the final result was irrelevant, it’s better not to have blown a huge lead to the Hornets. Just for the vibes. The Thunder held onto their lead and gifted all of their sicko fans with a preseason win where everybody had their moment.

The Thunder shot 49% from the field and went 15-of-43 (34.9%) from 3. They shot 19-of-24 on free throws. They had 30 assists on 44 baskets. Five Thunder players scored double-digit points.

Gilgeous-Alexander had 16 points and five assists. Joe scored 19 points and Wiggins scored 13 points off the bench. Alex Caruso received the start and tallied 11 points. Malevy Leons had 10 points and four rebounds.

Meanwhile, the Hornets shot 41% from the field and went 16-of-43 (37.2%) from 3. They shot 24-of-32 on free throws. They had 21 assists on 38 baskets. Five Hornets players scored double-digit points.

LaMelo Ball had 15 points, five rebounds and four assists. Mann scored 18 points. Brandon Miller and Diabate each had 14 points. Collin Sexton scored 15 points off the bench.

Considering the rest of the Thunder’s preseason schedule, this might be the only time we see the starters play. Only three remain with the next two on the road. If this is it during this two-week slate, then Gilgeous-Alexander and company proved why the NBA champions are the favorite to repeat.

Let’s look at Thunder player grades:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A

Matched up against Miles Bridges, Gilgeous-Alexander went straight into scoring mode. A little crossover gave him enough leverage for a quick spin move. He had a clean look at the basket for the easy layup. The self-created bucket was the perfect way for the MVP to score his first points of the preseason.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting, five assists and one rebound. He shot 2-of-2 from 3. He also had a steal. He only played 20 minutes before he sat out the second half.

To start, Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t need any breathers. He played the entire first quarter like he usually did last season. He drove to the basket and hunted for his mid-range jumper. A couple of pull-up outside jumpers were also a new wrinkle that fans hope carries over to the regular season.

It was an unreal first half of basketball that Gilgeous-Alexander has normalized. But the four-month break between games provided enough distance to make fans remember just how unreal of a scoring talent he is. The walking 30-point player continues his legendary career.

Isaiah Joe: A

Say what you want about Joe’s playoffs, but what he brings in the regular season is a premium. He had a quiet preseason so far, but playing with the regular starters showed that perhaps he’s somebody who thrives being a complementary piece rather than being asked to put more on his plate.

Joe finished with 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting and two rebounds. All of his attempts were from the outside. He also shot 4-of-5 on free throws. He had one block.

Roaming around the perimeter, Joe punished the Hornets when they left him enough space to let it fly. He’s the textbook catch-and-shoot threat who could take advantage of the defensive attention his teammates receive. You saw that in this game with Gilgeous-Alexander and others.

This was a solid bounce-back performance. Joe had a struggling first two preseason games. He faded into the background. But in this game, he showed why he was an awesome bench player last season, who provided OKC with another double-digit scorer.

Aaron Wiggins: B

During a stretch there, Wiggins and Mann exchanged buckets. The two friends had the chance to share the floor on opposite sides. The former showed why his shot-creation ability could help him make another leap as a possible Sixth Man scorer role.

Wiggins finished with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting, six rebounds and four assists. He shot 2-of-3 from 3 and went 1-of-1 on free throws. He also had three blocks and one steal.

At this point, Wiggins has perfected being a rhythm scorer. Only behind Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, nobody else on the OKC roster possesses the same scoring talent to go out there and create their own decent look. He’s managed to time his stops and pumpfakes perfectly to create easy looks.

Wiggins continues to be somebody who could take on more of a scoring load. He helped the Thunder maintain a distance on the scoreboard in the second half. You have to be excited about what other leaps he can make after a career season last year.

Cason Wallace: B-plus

On a Thursday Night Football, Wallace forced NFL insider Adam Schefter to tweet about him. That’s how crazy his circus shot was. Trying to save the ball from going out of bounds, he flung the ball above his head and with enough strength for it to go over the backboard.

It calmly swished through for one of the crazier shots ever. That highlighted Wallace’s best preseason performance yet. He finished with six points on 3-of-7 shooting, 10 rebounds and eight assists. He shot 0-of-3 from 3. He also had three steals.

The Thunder went with Wallace as one of the primary ball-handlers. This time, the results were much better. The opening play saw him run a pick-and-roll with Isaiah Hartenstein that resulted in a shooting foul on an alley-oop attempt.

Wallace looked more comfortable as the primary ball-handler. The Thunder hope he can continue to develop that aspect. On defense, it didn’t take long for him to be a disruptive player. He broke up several passing lanes and perfectly read the offense.

Malevy Leons: C-plus

The fourth quarter was an interesting watch for the third two-way spot battle. Leons made the most progress. The size is his bread and butter, but he showed off his scoring talent. He made up some ground against Chris Youngblood, who’s become a fan favorite.

Leons finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting and four rebounds. He shot 1-of-2 from 3 and went 1-of-2 on free throws. He also had two blocks.

Out of their four training camp invites, Leons is the only player who’s had experience in OKC. He’s talked about how he feels more comfortable in their system and what they’re looking for. He’ll need to build on his second half if he hopes to land the final two-way spot.

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