The Oklahoma City Thunder continued their perfect start to the 2026-27 NBA season with an impressive 96-84 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. However, despite another statement win against a Western Conference contender, the evening marked the end of one of the most remarkable individual scoring streaks in NBA history.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning back-to-back MVP, finished with just 17 points, ending his NBA-record run of 141 consecutive regular-season games with at least 20 points.
The Canadian superstar, who had scored 32 points in Oklahoma City’s season-opening victory over the San Antonio Spurs, endured an unusually difficult shooting night against Denver. Gilgeous-Alexander missed all seven of his field-goal attempts in the first half and managed just two points before halftime, both coming from the free-throw line.
Denver took advantage of his struggles, building a nine-point lead and entering halftime ahead 48-44. However, Oklahoma City’s trademark defensive intensity eventually turned the game around.
The Thunder took control in the third quarter, with Ajay Mitchell putting the hosts ahead 64-62 on a fast-break layup. Three-pointers from Alex Caruso and Gilgeous-Alexander helped Oklahoma City establish a 70-64 advantage entering the final period.
From there, Oklahoma City never looked back. Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 21 points, while Chet Holmgren delivered an outstanding defensive performance with 12 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks. Oklahoma City forced 13 Denver turnovers in the second half, converting them into 19 points and effectively shutting down the Nuggets’ offense.
Nikola Jokić endured an equally frustrating evening, finishing with just 13 points on 5-of-19 shooting. Aaron Gordon led Denver with 20 points, while newcomer DeMar DeRozan also contributed 13.
Although Oklahoma City had the game firmly under control, there was still one storyline developing in the closing minutes.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who had surpassed Wilt Chamberlain’s previous record of 126 consecutive 20-point games in March 2026, was close to preserving his extraordinary streak.
After entering the fourth quarter with just seven points, the Thunder superstar began finding his rhythm, scoring 10 points in the final period.
With 1:44 remaining, he knocked down a three-pointer to give Oklahoma City a commanding 93-76 lead, bringing his total to 17 points and leaving him just three shy of extending his historic record.
However, following a Denver timeout, Nuggets coach David Adelman emptied his bench. Rather than remain on the court to pursue another scoring milestone, Gilgeous-Alexander voluntarily checked out of the game.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault praised his superstar’s decision afterward, emphasizing the class and perspective demonstrated by the two-time MVP. Gilgeous-Alexander himself offered a simple explanation.
“I feel like you always treat the game with respect.”
The streak, which began in November 2024, had lasted nearly two full years and established a new standard of offensive consistency in NBA history. His previous regular-season game with fewer than 20 points came on October 30, 2024, when he scored 18 against San Antonio.
Despite the individual milestone coming to an end, Oklahoma City improved to 2-0 after opening the season with victories over the Spurs and Nuggets, two of its strongest conference rivals.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Thursday’s victory was that the 2025 NBA champions managed to defeat a legitimate championship contender despite their superstar struggling offensively and the team shooting just 25.6% from three-point range.
