The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Denver Nuggets 96-84 on Thursday, using a strong second-half defensive performance to secure a victory despite a quiet shooting night from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in their home opener.
Jalen Williams led Oklahoma City with 21 points, while Chet Holmgren recorded 12 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting, ending his streak of 141 consecutive games with at least 20 points.
Denver made Oklahoma City work early, taking a 27-24 lead after the first quarter and extending its advantage to as many as nine points. Gilgeous-Alexander struggled to find his rhythm, missing all seven field-goal attempts in the first half. He scored twice from the free-throw line to avoid going scoreless before halftime, as the Thunder trailed 48-44.
The reigning MVP found his first field goal early in the third quarter, helping Oklahoma City close the gap. The Thunder then took control behind improved defense and timely perimeter shooting. An Ajay Mitchell layup gave the hosts their first lead since the opening minutes at 64-62, before three-pointers from Alex Caruso and Gilgeous-Alexander helped establish a 70-64 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma City continued to pull away in the final period, limiting Denver to 20 points while scoring 26 of its own. Gilgeous-Alexander’s three-pointer pushed the lead to 93-76 with 1:44 remaining, effectively putting the game out of reach.
Holmgren’s work on the glass was central to the Thunder’s win. He grabbed nine offensive rebounds and helped Oklahoma City finish with 46 total rebounds, compared with Denver’s 53. The Thunder also committed just 12 turnovers, while forcing 22 from the Nuggets.
Nikola Jokic had a difficult night against Oklahoma City’s defense, shooting 5-of-19 from the field and 1-of-7 from three-point range for 13 points. He added seven rebounds and five assists but finished with a team-worst minus-20 rating. Aaron Gordon led Denver with 20 points, while DeMar DeRozan also scored 13 off the bench.
Oklahoma City improved to 2-0, while Denver fell to 0-1 in its season opener. The Nuggets host New Orleans on Saturday, and the Thunder welcome the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
