Three Takeaways From the OKC Thunder's Late-Game Win Over Denver Nuggets

Another strong showing from Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paired with an impressive outing from Vasilije Micic and a bounce-back night from Chet Holmgren allowed the Thunder to go toe-to-toe with the Denver Nuggets Wednesday.

As early as it is, taking part in the Western Conference's revolving door of No. 1 seeds is certainly not where the Oklahoma City Thunder thought it would be prior to the season. 

After an impressive finish last year with a team not expected to make it past the midway point, the element of surprise was diminished, yes, but the Thunder remained in a position to take the NBA world by storm, even with higher expectations.

And so far, that's exactly what it's done. 

Oklahoma City continues to fight with both the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves for the top spot in the West — knocking off the latter would have helped its case tremendously — so naturally, another matchup against Jokic and company was a chance for the Thunder could give itself another leg up.

And again, that's exactly what it did. 

The Thunder secured a home victory against Denver to inch even closer to the top, now sitting one game behind the Timberwolves for the No. 1 seed, and now looks ahead to considerably easier home stretch before most of the team takes a few days off for All-Star weekend. 

Here are three takeaways from Oklahoma City's winning effort against the Nuggets:

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SGA's Unreal Consistency

Speaking of All-Star Weekend, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might not have the most restful of outings in Indianapolis. 

The entire season, Oklahoma City's point guard has put up strong performances both from the scoring end and from the passing lanes, but against Denver, the former was certainly on display. 

Notching 30-point games has become almost expected for Gilgeous-Alexander, which, considering how difficult a task it is in the NBA, makes the Thunder star's ability to contribute at a high level night in and night out that much more impressive.

Against the Nuggets, Gilgeous-Alexander notched 34 points, five assists and a pair of blocks to cap off a well-rounded night as Oklahoma City was able to secure the victory — though his unreal consistency has made that kind of night seem slightly pedestrian. 

Jan. 16 is the last time Gilgeous-Alexander didn't score north of 30 points in a game he appeared in. That's both impressive and incredibly consistent. 

And if nothing else has been made clear, the point guard is both.

Micic Magic

After high expectations painted a strong picture of what Vasilije Micic could do with the Oklahoma City Thunder, it was safe to say that disappointment better told the tale.

Micic wasn't a poor performer, but his role has been significantly diminished all-season long for the second-youngest team in the NBA, though against the Nuggets, he not only showed up, but proved his worth. 

In just 17 minutes, the point guard racked up 14 points and five assists to help spark enough offense to get the Thunder over the hump, but more impressive than that was his overall impact on the game. 

Micic finished with a team-leading plus-14 on the night, which went to show just how important he was on the court. Facing a team as strong as the Nuggets certainly called for that, and he delivered. 

The next step for the Serbian point guard is finding out whether or not he can continue that.

Holmgren's Block Party

No well-rounded performance from a team is complete without both offense and defense. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made sure to provide plenty of the former, while Micic chipped in on the passing front to ensure a well-moving unit, but on the defensive end, it was Chet Holmgren who delivered. 

After just a four-point showing against the Timberwolves, Holmgren entered Wednesday night's contest with a chip on his shoulder, and that was apparent early. Not only did Holmgren notch an 18-point double-double on the boards, but he also played rim protector with five blocks to give the Thunder a boost defensively.

Holmgren's overall numbers have taken a dip in recent weeks, but rather than let it take him down a slide through the midway point of the season, the rookie has remained poised and committed, which absolutely showed against Denver.

Five blocks isn't a mark the big man has hit since facing the Portland Trail Blazers back in mid-January, but it's also not a foreign number. With a little bit of positive momentum and a win, the next question is how soon Holmgren will be able to replicate his impressive night.

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