Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, blocks Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander while driving through the lane in the second half of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, Chet Holmgren finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds, and the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder overcame Nikola Jokic’s triple-double to beat the Denver Nuggets 102-87 in the NBA season opener on Thursday night. Defeated by. Teams.
Aaron Wiggins contributed 15 points off the bench and Jalen Williams scored 12 points for Oklahoma City. The Thunder have won their last four games against Denver.
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The Nuggets struggled from behind the 3-point arc, shooting 7 of 39 from deep.
READ: NBA: Nuggets sign Aaron Gordon to 4-year, $133 million extension
Jokic finished with 16 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds. Christian Braun also scored 16 points, Michael Porter Jr. had 15 points and Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon added 12 points each for Denver.
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Chet and Shai’s opening statement.@chethomgren: 25P, 14R, 5A, 4B@shaiglalex: 28P, 7R, 8A, 3B
@okcthunder Win in Denver🔥 pic.twitter.com/0GfYISC7Kg
– NBA (@NBA) 25 October 2024
Oklahoma City led 65–56 early in the third quarter, but the Nuggets responded with an 8–2 run. Porter hit a layup and two free throws, Gordon hit a fadeaway and Braun scored close to cut Denver’s deficit to 67–64. The Thunder responded when Gilgeous-Alexander hit two free throws, Williams and Cason Wallace hit short shots to cut the lead to 73–64 with 6:23 left in the quarter.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored on a layup and a bank shot and Holmgren blocked a shot at one end and followed with a running dunk to make it 80-66 with 2:51 left in the third.
READ: NBA: Nuggets add Russell Westbrook at Nikola Jokic’s request
The lead grew to 19 before Julian Strother’s floating jumper broke the Nuggets’ cold snap and started a surge that gave them life entering the fourth.
Denver scored seven consecutive points in the third and fourth quarters to cut the deficit to 85–73, but the Thunder immediately extended the lead.
Wiggins hit a layup, Williams sank and drained a 3-pointer and Gilgeous-Alexander’s running layup extended Oklahoma City’s lead to 19 points.
The Nuggets led by nine points in the first quarter, but Holmgren and Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City to finish with a 31–24 lead.
The Thunder extended it to a 10-point lead, but Denver pulled within 49–45 on Porter’s 3-pointer with 3:52 left in the first half.
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At halftime, Oklahoma City took a 58–51 lead.
-Field Level Media
