Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Game-Winner Helps OKC Thunder Complete Comeback in Denver

The Thunder stayed within striking distance all night and finally broke through for an impressive road win.

The Oklahoma City Thunder got revenge for their embarrassing early-season loss at the last second.

The Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 118-117 after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nailed a game-winning jumper with 0.9 seconds left. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 25 points, six rebounds and eight assists to help lift the Thunder to victory.

During a late Oklahoma City run, Jalen Williams found Chet Holmgren for an alley-oop dunk with 1:38 left to cut its deficit to one. A few possessions later, Williams had a tough finish inside to cut the lead to one and set up a two-for-one.

The Nuggets opened their lead to eight early in the fourth quarter, prompting the Thunder to call a timeout. From there, the Thunder struggled to make much progress to cut the deficit as a couple of plays by Nikola Jokic at the end of the shot clock kept the Nugget's lead intact going into the final minutes.

Chet Holmgren had a massive night defensively to help the Thunder inside. The rookie finished with a career-high nine blocks, the most by any player this season, and led the team in rebounding with 11. He also scored 17 points.

A forceful third-quarter dunk by Jalen Williams highlighted his 24-point night. Williams was one of six Thunder players to score in double figures.

Josh Giddey did not start the second half as the Thunder went with a frontcourt of Jaylin Williams and Holmgren. With those two playing together to start the third, the Thunder played near-even with the Nuggets’ starters.

With Nikola Jokic on the bench, DeAndre Jordan caused problems for the Thunder inside. The veteran center played just six minutes in the first half but grabbed seven rebounds in that stretch, including three on the offensive glass.

Jordan’s time on the floor helped the Nuggets extend their lead to as much as 11 in the second quarter. The Thunder battled back into the game and entered halftime, trailing by only two.

While neither team had a great first half offensively, they both took care of the ball, combining for just six turnovers. Despite leading the league in opponent turnovers and ranking third in steals, the Thunder forced just two first-half turnovers with no steals.

In that first half, Jaylin Williams made a significant impact off the bench for Oklahoma City, scoring 11 points and knocking down three of the team’s four 3-pointers before halftime.

Williams also spent much of the night matched up with Jokic. The reigning Finals MVP finished with 24 points, six rebounds and 12 assists.

Oklahoma City begins a five-game homestand with a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

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