From the very first tip, the Oklahoma City Thunder were sharp, with great speed and cohesion, and it showed on the scoreboard. Not only did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander demonstrate his usual poised control of play; Cason Wallace scored three-pointers at will, and the Thunder prevented the Denver Nuggets from establishing a rhythm. Every time the Nuggets created a hint of momentum, Oklahoma City responded quickly with a three-point shot or operationally forced a missed shot, resulting in a change of possession and an easy basket on the other end.
Adding an exclamation point to the win for the Thunder is the fact that they did a good job containing the top scorers for the Nuggets. By their standards, both Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were limited in their scoring in this game due in large part to the pressure defense of the Thunder. The Thunder forced the Nuggets to turn the ball over 18 times, converting those turnovers into 19 points, and the Thunder held the lead virtually the entire game. Balanced play for the Thunder and shooting across the floor allowed for the moderate control of the game rather than chaos.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A+
Game Stats: 34 PTS, 5 REB, 13 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 4 TOV, 11-16 FG, 1-2 3-PT FG, 11-13 FT, 33 MIN
Every single aspect of the game ran through SGA. He dissected all of the coverages, got to mid-range shots, and Denver gave him free throws every time they collapsed on him. 13 assists is a monster number, but he didn’t just score a ton; he broke the defense to create clean looks for his teammates.
He was active on defense, especially in the passing lanes, and was the reason for the ball pressure. SGA’s control is why he is a superstar. He was the reason Denver didn’t go on big runs.
Cason Wallace: A
Game Stats: 27 PTS, 6 REB, 2 STL, 9-14 FG, 7-11 3-PT FG, 2-3 FT, 30 MIN
This was a breakout-type scoring night. Wallace spaced the floor perfectly and punished every late rotation, drilling seven threes with zero hesitation. His off-ball movement made him tough to track, and SGA rewarded him again and again.
He also brought his usual defensive edge, picking up steals and staying disruptive at the point of attack. When a young guard gives you elite shooting and plus defense in the same night, that’s a huge swing factor.
Aaron Wiggins: A
Game Stats: 14 PTS, 6 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TOV, 5-9 FG, 3-6 3-PT FG, 1-2 FT, 25 MIN
Wiggins remains one of the most dependable role players on the team. He made solid cuts, finished in transition, and made big threes that helped keep the lead.
His defensive and offensive two-way playing was apparent; he guarded several positions and made defensive effort plays that aren’t always reflected in the stats.
Chet Holmgren: B+
Game Stats: 14 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 1 TOV, 3 BLK, 3-10 FG, 1-7 3-PT FG, 7-8 FT, 28 MIN
The outside shot wasn’t falling, but Chet still made his presence known. He blocked shots, changed the direction of drives, and stayed on the offensive end of the court enough to draw free throws.
Even with the misses, his spacing was important and even pulled the bigs away from the paint, creating lanes for drivers and cutters. Quite the performance for him.
Jaylin Williams: B
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TOV, 3-5 FG, 2-3 3-PT FG, 24 MIN
Jaylin had a good overall performance, even with the time restrictions. He scored, passed, defended, and made some good plays. The three steals show how active he was.
His energy and versatility were a big difference for OKC while the starters were resting. He definitely kept the level of play high.
Isaiah Hartenstein: B
Game Stats: 4 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 3 TOV, 2-4 FG, 22 MIN
Hartenstein did the dirty work. He battled on the glass, set sturdy screens, and helped OKC keep possessions alive with offensive boards. The scoring was minimal, but that’s not why he’s out there.
A few turnovers were sloppy, but overall, he gave the Thunder solid minutes anchoring the interior and keeping the game physical.
Luguentz Dort: C+
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 1 TOV, 2-9 FG, 2-6 3-PT FG, 32 MIN
Even though Dort was not a great scorer, he showed on defense. He chased around the Denver ball handlers on the screen and made it difficult on defense. That kind of pressure helped contribute to the Nuggets’ uneven offense and defense.
He had some fine looks, but missed. When he is defending this well, the Thunder are fine living with him missing shots.
Isaiah Joe: C+
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 TOV, 3-9 FG, 3-9 3-PT FG, 23 MIN
Joe shot it, but did not hit a lot, and he shot it poorly. Still, it is a good look for the defense and gets them to spread out a bit, and he will pull to shoot from distance, and it will keep them out of zone.
If he had made a couple more, it would look a lot better.
Kenrich Williams: C
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 1 TOV, 2-6 FG, 0-2 3-PT FG, 1-1 FT, 18 MIN
Kenrich played his typical glue-guy role – moving the ball, defending hard, and doing a bit of everything. The scoring wasn’t efficient, but his defensive activity helped keep Denver’s bench from getting comfortable.
Ousmane Dieng: N/A
Game Stats: 0-3 FG, 0-2 3PT, 3 MIN
A tough, short stint. The shots didn’t fall, and he didn’t have enough time to find rhythm or contribute elsewhere.
Brooks Barnhizer: N/A
Game Stats: 3 MIN
Barnhizer didn’t get enough floor time to evaluate fairly.
