OKLAHOMA CITY — For the first time in the preseason, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault unleashed most of his starting lineup, as MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played at the Paycom Center for the first time since winning an NBA championship. Scoring 12 of his 16 points in the first quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander hit the ground running, setting a tone on both ends of the floor as the Thunder reminded fans why it's the championship favorite.
For Daigneault, veterans such as Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and Isaiah Hartenstein know how vital these preseason games are at this time of the year, and Gilgeous-Alexander is no different, as the Thunder head coach explained during his postgame media availability.
“Lu's like this, Alex [Caruso], Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], [Isaiah] Hart — they've just been through enough offseasons now that they kind of understand the calendar, and where they need to be at certain periods of time,” Daigneault said. “And they kind of ramp themselves up. They understand what they need. They're all a little bit different, and he's got a great understanding of that. He was kind of in his first preseason game mode tonight.”
Scoring one end of the floor while deflecting the ball and coming up with defensive stops, Gilgeous-Alexander was relentless throughout the first half, and the same could be said about Caruso, who started in place of Chet Holmgren, against the Hornets.
“We got competitors. So, you put them in a practice scrimmage and they’re gonna try to win… those guys that have been in the league now for some time, kind of learn the paces and know the importance of these games in terms of getting themselves ready and getting their team ready, and getting their teammates ready.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, who sat out the second half, finished with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting, five assists, one block, and one steal in 19 minutes. Isaiah Joe (19 points) connected on 5-of-8 from deep, and Aaron Wiggins added 13 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.
Mark Daigneault revealed Holmgren had been dealing with soreness in his shoulder and took the night off, while the Thunder's bench kept the Hornets at bay down the stretch of a 122-116 preseason win.
Thunder picked to become first repeat champions since 2017
Thunder veteran Alex Caruso says Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in Hall of Fame territory, which is a big reason why the defending champions are expected by many to do it again in 2026. However, the Thunder's strong supporting cast —a unique blend of experienced guys such as Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Gilgeous-Alexander — mixed with a young All-Star in Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, both entering only their fourth season.
In a recent poll, the Thunder earned 80% of NBA GMs' votes as the team most likely to go back-to-back championships. The Cleveland Cavs and the Denver Nuggets were tied for second with 7% of the votes. The Thunder will look to improve to 3-1 amid the preseason when it faces the Bucks on Tuesday.
