Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s ridiculous 141-game streak of 20-plus points officially bit the dust on Thursday night. The Oklahoma City Thunder still snatched a 96-84 win against Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets, moving to 2-0 after handing Denver a loss in their season opener. It was a grind, for sure, and while SGA’s incredible run is over, the fact that OKC still pulled off the win without him hitting his usual numbers? That is the real headline.
The MVPs Went Cold
The pre-game buzz was all about the matchup between former MVPs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić, but if you watched the game, neither guy looked like their “MVP selves” at all. SGA struggled to find his shot for most of the night. Can you believe he didn’t even make a field goal until the second half? He finally got some rhythm in the fourth quarter to help put the Nuggets away, but it wasn’t enough to save his insane streak, as he finished with just 17 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block.
And it wasn’t just SGA. Nikola Jokić had a lid on the basket all game, shooting a lackluster 5-of-19 from the field. He ended with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Honestly, it was a rough night for both stars, a slow night for sure.
Who Stepped Up When the Stars Didn’t Shine?
So, if the two biggest stars were struggling, who picked up the slack for OKC? That’s where Jalen Williams came in! He absolutely took the reins on offense for most of the game, putting up 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. And let’s not forget Chet Holmgren, who was an absolute beast in the paint, clogging things up for Jokić and Denver’s big men. Chet had a monster game with 12 points, a whopping 17 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 4 blocks. Ajay Mitchell also chipped in 12 points, along with 5 steals and 1 block.
For the Nuggets, Aaron Gordon tried to carry the load with 20 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block. Jamal Murray pulled down 10 rebounds to go with his 6 points, 3 assists, and 1 steal, and DeMar DeRozan added 13 points and 2 rebounds.
Ugly Offense, But a W Is a W
Both the Thunder and the Nuggets have rolled out some of the NBA’s best offenses over the past few years, so it was pretty wild to see them both struggling to find their shot this early in the season. OKC finished the game shooting just 38 percent from the field and a chilly 26 percent from deep. Denver wasn’t much better, also shooting 38 percent from the field and 27 percent from deep. To make matters worse for the Nuggets, they coughed up the ball 22 times.
The Thunder ultimately snuck away with the win despite the cold night offensively, which says a lot about their grit. Both teams are clearly still finding their rhythm and will definitely be looking to improve those shooting numbers when they meet again later this season. You know that rematch is going to be intense!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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