Charlotte Hornets vs Oklahoma City Thunder

The Hornets will travel to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder at Paycom Center on October 9, 2025. The game is slated to tip off at 8:00 pm Eastern Time. It will be part of the preseason slate, as both teams aim to sharpen chemistry and evaluate rotations before the regular season.

On Oklahoma City’s side, several players are ruled out or in recovery status. Thomas Sorber is out with an ACL tear, Kenrich Williams is recovering from a knee scope, Jalen Williams is rehabbing from wrist surgery, and Nikola Topic is unavailable following a testicular procedure. Chet Holmgren is also being handled cautiously due to shoulder soreness and is likely to sit or have limited minutes.
For Charlotte, the injury list includes Grant Williams (knee) and Josh Green (shoulder), both currently ruled out or limited. The Hornets are anticipated to lean on their remaining rotation and bench depth in this contest.

Oklahoma City head coach Mark Daigneault is expected to use this game as a platform to reintroduce his core players gradually and stress-test his depth. Oklahoma City Thunder have sent many regulars to sit in prior games; tonight they may begin easing stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, and Luguentz Dort back into action. With many rotation pieces out, OKC will rely heavily on its young and bench players to carry moments and hold pace.
Charlotte’s coach will likely maintain the same lineup shown in their first meeting with Oklahoma City, hoping for better execution this time around. They may experiment with bench moves such as using newly added Eric Dixon, especially in the fourth quarter. The Hornets will aim to be more cohesive offensively and defend better in transition.

Previews frame this game as a second chance for Charlotte to respond after a shaky exhibition performance earlier. Press discussion also emphasizes how Oklahoma City will manage its star players’ minutes, and whether the Thunder’s depth can cover for the missing contributors. Some outlets note that OKC has already sent core players to rest in prior games, which suggests tonight might be a turning point for lineup evaluation. On the Hornets side, there is talk about whether the same starting group will deliver better chemistry and make fewer mistakes, especially with limited margins in preseason games.

In studio breakdowns, analysts are likely to highlight the challenge for Charlotte’s rotation to match Oklahoma City’s size and pace, especially with many OKC starters expected to enter the game. They’ll examine how well the Hornets can fight through mismatches and defensive holes. For OKC, attention will center on which bench or young players can step up, and whether reintegrating stars midgame disrupts rhythm or boosts efficiency. Depth, execution under pressure, and how coaches manage minutes will be key talking points: who handles it well, and who shows vulnerabilities in these experimental settings.