Close games have been a regular theme with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The need to pull out more of those is bound to be the key to how the team fares.
Another chance to show if recent successes can be sustained comes against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night in Charlotte, N.C.
Oklahoma City won four of the final five games of a seven-game homestand, including avoiding a close game by pulling away to beat the San Antonio Spurs 130-114 on Tuesday night.
The Hornets have been in the opposite situation, coming off a six-game road trip on the West Coast. They went 2-4, capped by Tuesday night’s 110-105 loss at Golden State.
The game was tied at 101-101, but Charlotte coach Steve Clifford didn’t point to the finishing stretch as being as costly as how the team started in such a rut.
Gilgeous-Alexander has led the Thunder in scoring in 11 of the last 12 games.
Gilgeous-Alexander also had four blocked shots in the San Antonio game.
The Thunder received 68 points from reserves in Tuesday night’s game.
Charlotte hasn’t contained many of the league’s second-tier teams. The Hornets allowed 65 first-half points to Golden State in a game in which Warriors standouts Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins didn’t play.
A 2-4 road trip for the Hornets means they should be desperate to make amends at home.
The Hornets are trying to get all the parts aligned, something that has been troublesome with a rash of injuries. The encouraging part is that Gordon Hayward logged 37 minutes and LaMelo Ball played 35 minutes in Tuesday’s game.
Oklahoma City guard Luguentz Dort wasn’t feeling at full strength Tuesday night so he played limited minutes. The Thunder used some different player combinations and Daigneault said he was happy with the adjustments.
Thursday night’s game marks just a one-game trip for the Thunder, who will be back home for their next two games. Oklahoma City lost its past three road matchups.
This is the beginning of a four-game homestand for the Hornets, who’ve lost their last five home games. This is their first home game since Dec. 16.
