The Oklahoma City Thunder opened their season with a 96-84 defensive grind over the Denver Nuggets at Paycom Center on Thursday night, according to the NBA's official game recap.
Jalen Williams led all scorers with 21 points for the 2-0 Thunder, while Chet Holmgren controlled the paint with 12 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks. OKC's defense held Denver to just 84 points, flustering the Nuggets' stars all night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting, ending his streak of 141 consecutive games with 20 or more points — the longest such run in NBA history, per multiple outlets including Mile High Sports. Christian Braun led Denver's defensive effort against the reigning MVP.
Denver's two biggest stars struggled badly: Nikola Jokic managed 13 points on 5-of-19 shooting with seven rebounds and five assists, while Jamal Murray scored six points on 2-of-11 shooting with six turnovers. Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 20 points.
Both teams shot below 40 percent from the field and below 30 percent from three in a slow offensive game decided by turnovers and fourth-quarter execution. Oklahoma City improved to 2-0, Denver fell to 0-1. The Thunder looked every bit the title contender many expected, while the Nuggets get a chance to regroup when their home schedule begins.