Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored just 17 points in Thursday night’s 96-84 home win over the Denver Nuggets, ending his NBA-record streak of 20-point games. It was his first game with fewer than 20 points since Oct. 30, 2024, a span of 141 regular-season games.
Gilgeous-Alexander had scored 32 points in a convincing win over San Antonio on Tuesday night. Against Denver, he shot just 6 of 19 from the field.
With just under two minutes left, he had a chance to score three more points and extend the streak. However, Oklahoma City led 93-76 with 1:43 remaining, and he asked Thunder coach Mark Daigneault to take him out.
Gilgeous-Alexander Chooses to Sit
“I was going to go out there, and then I saw that [the Nuggets] had subbed, so I thought we should sub, too,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You always treat the game with respect.”
Daigneault said he wanted to keep Gilgeous-Alexander in the game because a “historic streak” was on the line. He praised his star’s maturity.
“I just think of the class that it shows and the perspective that it shows for him to say, ‘Hey, I’m out now. The game’s calling for me to be subbed out,'” Daigneault said. “That was his substitution. And of all the things that I admire about him, that’s toward the top of the list in terms of moments that I appreciate about him.”
A Quiet First Three Quarters
The league’s two-time reigning MVP missed all seven of his shots in the first 24 minutes, while the Thunder trailed by as many as nine points. Two free throws kept him from going scoreless in a half for the first time since his rookie season with the LA Clippers in 2019. It was only the fourth time in 450 games with Oklahoma City that he had gone without a field goal in a half.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored the first basket of the third quarter to cut the deficit to 48-46. A layup by Ajay Mitchell later gave the Thunder a 64-62 lead, their first since the opening minutes. Threes from Alex Caruso and Gilgeous-Alexander pushed the advantage to 70-64 after three quarters. Gilgeous-Alexander then hit a three to reach 17 points and make it 93-76.
Supporting Cast Delivers
Jalen Williams scored 21 points, and Chet Holmgren added 12 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Thunder. For Denver, playing its first game of the season, Aaron Gordon scored 20 points, while Nikola Jokic and DeMar DeRozan each added 13.