How OKC ‘corrected course’ to avoid shocking Hornets upset to go 13-1

The Oklahoma City Thunder extended his league-best record to 13-1 in a 109-96 win against the Charlotte Hornets. In what is considered one of the the best NBA starts in league historythe defending champion avoided defeat away from home. Coach Mark Deno explained how his team turned things around in the second half.

“We put the defense in a really good spot in the third. We came back, settled in the half court, made them play half court basketball, and the stops created some opportunities to run and let us get out on the break,” Daigneault said. “So I thought we had a great response after halftime. We didn’t play our best game in the first half. We course-corrected nicely and made some adjustments to what we were doing, and it helped in the third.”

The Hornets connected on nine of their 16 3-pointers in the first half before the Thunder held them to 18 points in the third quarter. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 33 points on 13-of-19 shooting, including 3-for-4 from deep, seven assists and two steals. Chet Holmgren finished with 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting, a pair of 3-pointers, eight rebounds and one block against the Hornets.

After the win, Daigneault talked about Holmgren’s impact in the Thunder’s 13th win in 14 games.

“It starts with his skill. He’s got great skill. Great hands. Great shooting stroke and he’s done a great job, so far this year, of figuring out how to establish himself in the flow of the team, and tonight was no different,” Daigneault said. “He came out very aggressive and played in the flow, and he had a really nice game.

Mark Daigneault urges the Thunder to keep the right mindset

Thunder head coach Marc Daigneault wants to see his team improve despite his near-perfect start as the defending champion. He knows teams around the league will improve and adapt, which is why he’s cautioned his team to do the same.

“The thing is, we’re mature enough to realize there’s 70 more games,” Daigneault said. “And the rest of the league is going to continue to develop and improve, and we have to do that to keep up with the rest of the league. Guys have done a great job carrying that mindset for a long time, but we have to carry that mindset despite the fact that we’ve had early success.”

The Thunder will finish their short doubleheader against the Pelicans on Monday.