Down 19 with 7:20 remaining in the third quarter, it appeared as though the Oklahoma City Thunder’s first road win of the 2018-19 season would have to wait. The offense was sputtering (35 percent shooting in the first half), Paul George was struggling, and the Hornets were in position to push OKC to a 2-5 record.
Then Alex Abrines happened.
Abrines caught fire midway through the third, hitting 3-of-4 from downtown and scoring 15 of his career-high 25 points in a massive Thunder rally. OKC was able to trim Charlotte’s lead to 77-73 heading into the final frame — which proved close enough for Russell Westbrook to finish it out.