Three Takeaways from OKC Thunder's Late-Game Loss to Nuggets

The Oklahoma City dropped its first game of the 2024-25 season at the hands of the Denver Nuggets.

Nov 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots the ball past Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Well, finishing the season 82-0 was unrealistic, wasn't it?

After a 7-0 start to the Oklahoma City Thunder's 2024-25 campaign — all of which were won by double-digits — it fell to the Denver Nuggets by just two points on Wednesday night.

Nikola Jokic's 23 points, 20 rebounds and 16 assists along with Russell Westbrook's 29 points, six rebounds and six assists were far too much for the Thunder defense to handle, while many of its key offensive contributors underperformed.

Oklahoma City may have beat Denver convincingly in their season-opening contest, but the Nuggets didn't let another game slip past their fingertips. It led 66-55 at halftime, but that quickly evaporated after a 15-point differential in the third quarter.

Here are three takeaways from the 124-122 loss:

Shai Struggles

Despite a solid scoring night on paper from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting, turnovers were a problem throughout the game.

The MVP candidate totaled a whopping eight turnovers against Denver, failing to take care of the ball and creating some easy scoring opportunities for his opponent. The Nuggets did throw some attacks on him defensively, but on some occassions, they were simple errors unaccustomed to him.

It's been known that Gilgeous-Alexander has been seeking to increase his 3-point shot attempt production, but sometimes it creates bad looks or forces him into a turnover. He shot 0-of-3 from behind the arc by the end of the game, and when he got looks in the mid-range, which he's been toward the top of the NBA at, he passed them on a few occasions.

Gilgeous-Alexander's season averages still rank as one of the best players in the league, but with the experimentation he's trying offensively, there's definitely room for error right now in his game. However, eight turnovers can't happen, especially against title contenders like Denver.

Jalen Williams Steals the Show

Jalen Williams hasn't had the most eye-popping start to the regular season, but last night, he was the highest performer for Oklahoma City.

The forward put up a near triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and three steals on 11-of-20 shooting from the field and 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point range. When the Thunder needed a bucket, more times than not, it came from him.

Williams was still finding his shot early in the season, but this peformance seems to be building on some momentum for him offensively. Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren have dominated much of the box score this year, but Williams remains a reliable and key scorer that can reach the 30-point bar during any given game.

Assuming Williams keeps up this trajectory, there's no reason as to why he couldn't find himself in All-Star contention alongside the rest of Oklahoma City's leading trio.

This is a Fine Loss

Obviously, the Thunder would've liked to have kept winning for as long as possible.

Its history-making start helped it get past its first seven opponents with relative ease, holding the best defensive rating in the NBA by a wide margin. But that ending to a former champion Nuggets team led by one of the greatest centers of all time? Not that bad of a loss.

The Thunder got one up over Denver in their first meeting of the season, and this time, it seemed like the Nuggets were far more prepared. Beating that team twice in the row is difficult, especially when Jokic was helped by a Westbrook performance that turned back the clock.

The streak wasn't going to last forever, and outside of a few selective teams like the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City lost to one of the toughest opponents it'll face all-season long. It'll need to clean up some of the issues that caused it to lose, but there's no need to view the loss as much of a dissapointment.

Up next for the Thunder is the Houston Rockets Friday at 7 p.m. in Paycom Center.

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