Facing adversity without their top two scorers, the Oklahoma City Thunder endured a three-game losing streak, marking their first such slump this season.

Up against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, Oklahoma City will strive to break their unfavorable streak, with the possible absence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams as they wrap up a five-game road journey.

Gilgeous-Alexander, averaging 30.3 points per game, has been sidelined for three consecutive matches and missed five of the last six due to a quad contusion. Williams, who averages 19.5 points, may sit out his fourth game in a row due to a sprained left ankle.

Williams’ status for Sunday remains uncertain, while Gilgeous-Alexander has already been ruled out.

“Those are injuries that basically the timetable is dictated by how they respond to the recovery and that whole process,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “We’ll let the timetable play out.”

With a record of 52-25, Oklahoma City has stumbled in five of its last eight games but still holds the third spot in the Western Conference standings, trailing the first-place Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets by just one game at 53-24.

Minnesota currently holds the tiebreaker advantage over Denver.

“We’re not panicking,” Thunder guard Josh Giddey said. “We’re not flustered or worried as a team. We know what we’ve got here.”

Following a 126-112 defeat against Indiana on Friday, Oklahoma City’s primary focus is on regaining their winning momentum.

“At the end of the day, there’s things that we can’t control, and what we can control is winning or losing this game to an extent,” Oklahoma City center Chet Holmgren said.

The upcoming game marks the conclusion of a two-match series between the Thunder and Hornets, with Oklahoma City prevailing 126-106 on Feb. 2.

A trade between the two teams shortly followed, involving Gordon Hayward moving to the Thunder in exchange for Vasilije Micic, Davis Bertans, Tre Mann, two second-round draft picks (one in 2024, one in 2025), and monetary considerations.

Hayward, who last played for Charlotte on Dec. 26 before a calf injury sidelined him for nearly two months, missed the second half of Friday’s game due to discomfort in his left lower leg.

The Hornets (19-58) arrive at the matchup following a 124-115 triumph over the Orlando Magic on Friday.

Brandon Miller delivered an outstanding performance with 32 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field, including a flawless first half where he scored 26 points by going 10-for-10, sinking all five of his attempted 3-pointers.

Achieving a rare feat, Miller became only the second player in history to score over 25 points in the first half while shooting 100% from the field, free-throw line (making 1-for-1 before halftime), and three-point range (with at least five attempts).

The other player to achieve this feat was Stephen Curry in 2021.

“That’s a great accomplishment,” Miller said. “(Curry is) one of the greats. Definitely a great shooter. So being in that category, I think that’s a blessing.”

The upcoming game will serve as one of the final home matches for Hornets coach Steve Clifford, who recently announced his decision to step down at the end of the current season.

Impressed by Miller, the second overall pick of the 2023 draft, Clifford commended his level of maturity and composure on the court.

“He’s a very mature, very poised player,” Clifford said of Miller. “I mean, the things he does, you can’t teach.”