Thunder at Hornets
Russell Westbrook is healthy and back to scoring in bunches while getting a little feisty with the opposition. Westbrook will try to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a third consecutive win and avoid another technical foul when they open a two-game road trip by visiting the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.
Westbrook recorded 32 points and eight assists in Tuesday's 128-110 win over Los Angeles and got tangled up several times with Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley, leading to offsetting technical fouls in the fourth quarter. "He's the engine, he's the leader and he gets us going," Oklahoma City forward Paul George told reporters of Westbrook. "You see him getting after it and our job is to back him up. That's all it is. We see him turning that notch and going to another level. Our job is to match that." Westbrook expects to see All-Star guard Kemba Walker on Thursday but should also prepare for a challenge from veteran Tony Parker, who is settling in with his new team. Parker recorded season highs of 24 points and 11 assists in 25 minutes off the bench on Tuesday to spark a 125-113 win over Miami.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Oklahoma, FS Southeast (Charlotte)
ABOUT THE THUNDER (2-4): Oklahoma City dropped its first four games but began to turn things around with a 117-110 victory over Phoenix on Sunday and looked like a playoff team again while outscoring the Clippers 39-10 in the third quarter on Tuesday. "We just locked into the gameplan, made it difficult, made it tough," George told reporters. "We just tightened up all the loose ends." George matched Westbrook with 32 points in the win and added 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the young season.
ABOUT THE HORNETS (4-4): Parker, 36, is playing outside a San Antonio Spurs uniform for the first time in his career and got off to a slow start while scoring in single digits in each of his first four games, including a pair of scoreless efforts. Parker finally broke out with 18 points and eight assists in a win over Chicago on Friday and sat out to rest in a loss at Philadelphia the next night before exploding on Tuesday with his first double-double since March 17, 2016. "I think his poise, his demeanor, his pace, it just calms everybody down," Charlotte coach James Borrego told reporters of Parker. "People find the right spots. They're in rhythm. It's not helter-skelter."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Thunder C Steven Adams (calf) returned from a one-game absence on Tuesday and collected 18 points and 10 rebounds in 38 minutes.
2. Hornets PF Marvin Williams is 2-of-16 from 3-point range over the last five games.
3. The visiting team won each of the two matchups last season, with Oklahoma City earning a 101-91 win at Charlotte on Jan. 13 behind 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists from Westbrook.