The OKC Thunder didn't bring its A-Team to North Charleston, South Carolina.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander . Jalen Williams. Chet Holmgren. Lu Dort. Isaiah Hartenstein. Alex Caruso. Cason Wallace. Ajay Mitchell. None of those players traveled for OKC's preseason opener against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.

But those who did suit up brought their A-game. OKC cruised to a 135-114 win , and Aaron Wiggins led the way with a game-high 23 points.

Here are three takeaways from the win:

Ousmane Dieng looked comfortable in an expanded role

Ousmane Dieng has struggled to earn consistent minutes since he joined the Thunder in 2022.

But he made a statement during the first minute of Sunday's contest. The fourth-year pro caught a pass from Isaiah Joe on the perimeter and let it fly with

See Full Page