The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Denver Nuggets 96-84 in their season opener, despite underwhelming performances from the stars of both teams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning two-time NBA MVP, endured an unusually difficult night shooting the ball. He finished with 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting, ending his NBA-record streak of 141 consecutive games with at least 20 points.
He missed all seven of his field-goal attempts in the first half and scored only two points from the free-throw line, narrowly avoiding a scoreless half. He had not gone scoreless in a half since his rookie season with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019.
Denver started stronger and took a 48-44 lead into halftime. The Nuggets led by as many as nine points, but Gilgeous-Alexander cut the deficit to 48-46 with the opening basket of the third quarter. Mitchell then scored on a drive to give Oklahoma City its first lead since the opening 3-0. Three-pointers from Alex Caruso and Gilgeous-Alexander helped the Thunder carry a 70-64 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma City pulled away late, building a 17-point lead. With 1:44 remaining, Gilgeous-Alexander hit a three-pointer to make it 93-76. Shortly afterward, he asked to be substituted during a timeout and did not return to the game.
For Denver, which was playing its first game of the season, Aaron Gordon led the way with 20 points, while Jokić and DeMar DeRozan each contributed 13 points.
The Nuggets played solid defense but struggled offensively, committing too many turnovers and missing several free throws down the stretch. According to ClutchPoints, Denver also suffered a setback when Cameron Johnson sustained an ankle injury.
Jokić had an uncharacteristically quiet performance, recording 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists. The Serbian superstar shot just 5-of-19 from the field, including 1-of-7 from three-point range.
The Thunder have opened the season with two consecutive victories and will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. Denver will return home on Saturday to face the New Orleans Pelicans.
