Thunder Run Away From Nuggets, Win 124-94

After a close first quarter contest, star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander helped bury the Nuggets with a combination of scoring.

Oct 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) during the first quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

In a 30-point road victory, the Oklahoma City Thunder walked away with their third preseason victory over the Denver Nuggets. Led by an efficient performance from guard Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, the Thunder broke away from the Nuggets on the road for the win.

The Thunder didn't start out as hot as they probably would have liked. Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. scored 12 points in the first quarter, none of which were from the perimeter. Six of those points came in the paint and two more came from a mid-range jumper.

No team pulled away, as the Nuggets led 33-30 at the end of the first quarter. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked in the first period with ten points on four-for-seven shooting. He did not play in the final two minutes of the quarter, but also recorded two assists and three rebounds.

It took the Thunder around halfway through the second quarter to truly get a grasp on the game. The Nuggets led by eight early on in the quarter, with contributions from a pair of young guards in Julian Strawther and Trey Alexander. A steal from defensive guard Alex Caruso, turning Alexander over, led to a fast break dunk and brought the Thunder to within three points. After forcing another turnover on the rookie lead guard Alexander, Thunder forward Jalen Williams put OKC down one. He put them up 47-46 shortly later with a fade-away mid-range jump shot.

That short run of scoring and defensive prowess was all the momentum the Thunder needed to move ahead. Gilgeous-Alexander did an excellent job at the end of the half getting to the free-throw line, giving the Thunder a 62-53 lead at the break.

Rookie guard Ajay Mitchell kicked off the scoring for the Thunder in the second half, attacking the rim off an assist from crafty big man Isaiah Hartenstein. A blend of offensive contributions from defensive guards Cason Wallace and Lu Dort kept the lead around ten points, but the Nuggets hung around.

A triple from Wallace with 1:50 remaining in the third quarter gave the Thunder their largest lead of the game at 85-70. Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan chipped in one free throw and Mitchell an elbow mid-range jumper to leave the score at 87-71 in their favor.

The Thunder emptied their bench for the fourth quarter, as rookie Dillon Jones and young French forward Ousmane Dieng stepped onto the court. The young core continued to stretch out OKC's lead, with Jones drilling a step-back triple and Dieng securing an and-one layup, also knocking down the free throw.

Denver also got to empty their bench, seeing young guards Jalen Pickett and Andrew Funk get some playing time. Neither scored, but both gained valuable experience.

Porter stayed quiet after a 12-point first quarter, but still led the Nuggets in scoring with 15 points. Close behind him was Strawther, who's seeing an increased role so far, with 12 points. For the Thunder, it was Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way with 19 points, five assists and three rebounds. Off the bench, sharpshooting guard Isiah Joe scored 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting, four of which came from the perimeter.

OKC's final preseason matchup tips off at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, Oct. 17 against the Atlanta Hawks.

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