Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Historic NBA Streak Ends as Thunder Beat Nuggets

How Gilgeous-Alexander’s 141-Game Streak Ended

Gilgeous-Alexander entered Thursday having scored 20 or more points in 141 regular-season games, an NBA record that dated back to October 30, 2024. The two-time MVP struggled early, missing all seven of his field goal attempts in the first half and failing to score until hitting a pair of free throws late in the game. He finished with 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting, missing seven of his eight three-point attempts before finally converting a transition three late in the third quarter off a rebound from Jaylin Williams.

Earlier in the game, Oklahoma City had not held a lead since going up 3-0 in the opening seconds until Ajay Mitchell hit a transition layup with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Also late in the third period, Gilgeous-Alexander was initially whistled for a foul on a three-point attempt by Nikola Jokic right as the quarter expired—which would have awarded Jokic three free throws—but the call was overturned upon video review.

The streak reached its official conclusion with under two minutes remaining and Oklahoma City holding a 17-point lead. Following a timeout called by Denver coach David Adelman to empty his bench, Gilgeous-Alexander walked directly to the Thunder bench without waiting for instructions from coach Mark Daigneault. Before exiting, he had mounted a late push with 10 points in the fourth quarter to try and keep the mark alive.

Thunder Defense Forces 13 Second-Half Turnovers

The Thunder leaned heavily on their defense to grind out the victory, forcing 13 turnovers in the second half alone and converting them into 19 points. Oklahoma City scored 14 of its 26 fourth-quarter points directly off opponent mistakes. Despite shooting just 25.6 percent from beyond the arc on 11-of-43 shooting, the home side clamped down on a Denver offense that committed 22 turnovers compared to just 12 for Oklahoma City.

Denver controlled the first half and carried a 48-44 lead into the intermission, but struggled to maintain offensive rhythm as the game tightened. Both teams finished shooting 38 percent from the field in a physical contest that featured 45 total fouls. The Nuggets dropped to their first loss of the 2026-27 NBA season under conditions reminiscent of their struggles against OKC’s perimeter pressure last year.

Standout Performances in the Frontcourt

With Gilgeous-Alexander contained, the rest of the Thunder roster stepped forward to shoulder the load. Jalen Williams led Oklahoma City with 21 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Chet Holmgren anchored the paint with a double-double consisting of 12 points and 17 rebounds, protecting the rim against Nikola Jokic.

For Denver, Aaron Gordon paced the scoring with 20 points. Jokic endured a difficult shooting night, finishing with 13 points, seven rebounds, and five assists while shooting 5-of-19 from the floor. Jamal Murray added six points on 2-of-11 shooting while committing six turnovers. The Nuggets also lost Cameron Johnson to a right ankle sprain with 3:30 remaining in the second quarter; he did not return to the floor.

Thunder and Nuggets Continue 2026-27 Regular Season

The Oklahoma City Thunder continue their 2026-27 regular-season campaign following this opening victory at the Paycom Center, while the Denver Nuggets look to bounce back on their schedule after opening the year with a road defeat.

More on this story: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Why He Let His Historic Scoring Streak End · Daigneault Praises SGA After Historic 141-Game Scoring Streak Ends

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