Charlotte Hornets vs Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to face the Charlotte Hornets as they aim for their fifth consecutive NBA win. Boasting the best record in both the Western Conference and the entire league, the Thunder are in strong form, while the Hornets sit at 14th in the Eastern Conference.

OKC is determined to finish the regular season with the league’s top record. Under head coach Mike Daigenault, the team has capitalized on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ recent struggles, overtaking them in the race for the best overall record. With a stellar 57-12 record, the Thunder hold a one-game lead over Cleveland. They’re coming off an impressive 133-100 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, marking a strong return home after a three-game road trip. With 13 games remaining, OKC has already clinched a playoff berth.

Meanwhile, the Hornets are playing the second game of a back-to-back. They kicked off this stretch with a 115-98 home win against the New York Knicks, snapping a two-game losing streak. Charlotte has shown some improvement lately, winning four of their last seven games—a relatively strong run by their standards. However, this surge comes too late in the season, as they appear destined to miss the playoffs once again.

Under head coach Charles Lee, the Hornets have struggled to a 18-51 record, the second-worst in the East. With 13 games left, they trail the play-in tournament spots by nine games, leaving little hope for a postseason appearance.

The Charlotte Hornets (17-51, 14th in the Eastern Conference) will be playing the second game of a back-to-back on Friday when they visit the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder (57-12, 1st in the West). Charlotte recently suffered a 134-102 defeat against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday and will face the New York Knicks on Thursday before heading to Oklahoma City. The Hornets have lost three of their last four games and are on the brink of postseason elimination.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City is coming off a dominant 133-100 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Thunder are currently on a four-game winning streak and have claimed victory in 11 of their last 12 outings. With just a half-game margin, they are close to securing the top seed in the Western Conference.

Charlotte has four players listed as game-time decisions, including LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, while Tre Mann, Brandon Miller, Josh Okogie, Tidjane Salaun, and Grant Williams are ruled out. Oklahoma City will be without Jalen Williams, Ousmane Dieng, Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, Ajay Mitchell, Nikola Topic, and Cason Wallace.

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