The Hornets (13–23 at the time) shocked the Thunder (30–7), who were coming off their first Western Conference loss of the season just a day prior. Charlotte seized control in the second quarter with a , building a 17-point halftime lead that they extended to as much as 30 points in the fourth.

Thunder's upset loss to Hornets marks sixth loss in last 12 games

In their most recent matchup on January 5, 2026, the pulled off a major upset, defeating the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder 124–97 at Paycom Center. Mon, Jan 5 Hornets won! Game Summary: January 5, 2026

: The Hornets' defense, particularly the effort of Sion James on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA), held the league's No. 2 scorer to just 21 points on 7-of-21 shooting.