OKLAHOMA CITY (Interstat) — The Charlotte Hornets delivered a stunning 124-97 road victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night at Paycom Center, overcoming massive odds. Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 28 points. The Hornets seized control with a 34-point second quarter while holding the Thunder to just 17. Charlotte shot 52.6% from the field and 51.4% from three-point range. Oklahoma City, which entered with the NBA’s second-best record at 30-7, was held to 36.6% shooting. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points for the Thunder. The loss snapped Oklahoma City’s five-game home winning streak. Charlotte improved to 13-23.

OKLAHOMA CITY (Interstat) — On a night when the math defied logic, the Charlotte Hornets authored one of the most stunning upsets of the NBA season. The Hornets, owners of one of the league’s worst records, marched into a hostile Paycom Center and delivered a comprehensive 124-97 demolition of the powerhouse Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. The victory snapped a two-game skid for Charlotte and improved its record to 13-23, while the Thunder, who entered the night with the league’s second-best mark at 30-6, fell to 30-7. The result was a shock to the system, not just for the 18,203 in attendance but for the broader NBA landscape, as pregame projections gave Oklahoma City a 97.1 percent probability to win. The most important part of the game was a devastating second-quarter stretch where Charlotte transformed a competitive contest into a commanding rout. After a first quarter that ended deadlocked at 33, the Hornets unleashed a 34-point second period while holding the Thunder to a mere 17. This 17-point swing, turning a tie into a 67-50 halftime lead, was the product of a near-perfect storm of Charlotte execution and Oklahoma City futility. Charlotte’s offense, led by Brandon Miller’s 28 points, became a model of efficiency. The Hornets shot 52.6 percent from the field and a blistering 51.4 percent from 3-point range for the game, but the second quarter was their masterpiece. They committed just enough ball security to fuel a runaway. While Oklahoma City coughed up only seven turnovers all night, Charlotte’s 20 giveaways were largely offset by their scorching shooting and a dominant defensive effort that held the Thunder to 36.6 percent shooting overall and 28.2 percent from deep. The Hornets’ defensive activity, particularly in that decisive frame, disrupted Oklahoma City’s rhythm. The Thunder, who average over 120 points per game, were held under 100 for only the second time this season. Charlotte’s 8 blocks and constant pressure on the perimeter forced Oklahoma City into difficult shots, as evidenced by their 93 field goal attempts yielding only 34 makes. Miller, the Hornets’ top star, continued his recent scoring surge, adding six rebounds. He was complemented superbly by rookie guard Kon Knueppel, who scored 23 points and dished out five assists. Miles Bridges recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Moussa Diabate controlled the glass with 12 rebounds and facilitated the offense with five assists. Oklahoma City was led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 21 points and six assists, but he needed 19 shots to get there. Jalen Williams added 16 points and Chet Holmgren scored 15, but the Thunder’s typically potent attack never found its flow. The team’s offensive rating of 97.2 on 100 possessions was a season-low watermark. Charlotte’s offensive rating of 126.7, however, was a season high, illustrating the sheer improbability of the performance. The Hornets also won despite being massively out-assisted 13-4 and out-stolen 13-4, a statistical oddity underscoring how their shot-making overrode every other concern. They were a perfect 12 for 12 from the free-throw line in the first half and finished 23 of 25. After building their 17-point halftime lead, the Hornets never allowed the Thunder a path back. They maintained the margin through the third quarter and extended it in the fourth, leading by as many as 30 points before both teams emptied their benches. The final score of 124-97 meant the game comfortably went under the pregame over/under line of 232.5, another testament to Charlotte’s defensive shackling of a top-tier offense. The win provides a massive boost for a young Charlotte team that had lost three of its last four, including a narrow one-point defeat in Milwaukee two days prior. For Oklahoma City, it serves as a stark reminder of the NBA’s nightly perils, halting a stretch where they had won 10 of their last 11 games. The Thunder had defeated the Hornets by 13 in Charlotte back in November, making Monday’s 27-point reversal all the more emphatic. Charlotte now returns home to face the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, while Oklahoma City looks to regroup when it hosts the Utah Jazz, also on Wednesday.

OKLAHOMA CITY (Interstat) — The Charlotte Hornets, buoyed by a rare road victory, face a monumental challenge Monday night when they visit the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. The matchup pits one of the league’s coldest teams against its hottest. The Hornets (12-23) have lost eight of their last 12, while the Thunder (30-6) have won 10 of their last 12 and boast the league’s best record. Oklahoma City is a heavy pregame favorite, installed with a -16 point spread and a 97.1% win probability according to National Statistical’s ELO system. The over/under is set at 232.5. Charlotte arrives after snapping a three-game skid with a 112-99 win in Chicago on Saturday. Forward Miles Bridges was dominant with 26 points and 14 rebounds, continuing a stretch of strong play. Over his last 10 games, Bridges is averaging 18.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He, along with Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball, will need another high-output performance to test the Thunder. Oklahoma City is looking to bounce back from a narrow 108-105 loss at Phoenix on Sunday, just their second defeat in the last month. Guard Jalen Williams has been a consistent force, averaging 17.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists over his last 10 contests. He leads a balanced attack featuring MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and center Chet Holmgren. The Thunder won the season’s first meeting, 109-96, in Charlotte on Nov. 15. Since then, Oklahoma City has solidified its status as a championship contender, ranking near the top of the league in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The Hornets, meanwhile, have struggled to find consistency, particularly on defense. For Charlotte, the daunting January schedule continues with a back-to-back at home against Toronto and Indiana following this game. Oklahoma City begins a three-game homestand, hosting Utah on Wednesday before a four-game road trip.