The backcourt duo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey have headlined this recent run of success for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
So it was only appropriate they were the only ones to touch the ball on the game-winning basket for the Thunder in their 101-99 win over the Denver Nuggets.
With 11.2 seconds left in a tied game, Gilgeous-Alexander leveraged his way into an open lane and cut to the basket. Giddey, the best inbound passer on the team, recognized this and bounced the ball to an open Gilgeous-Alexander for an eight-foot bank shot.
The Thunder held the Nuggets scoreless on the other end and handed the Nuggets their fourth home loss of the season.
The caveat of the Nuggets missing Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. should not rain on OKC’s parade. The Thunder won a close, hard-fought contest against a first-place Nuggets team that entered on a nine-game winning streak.
With only three Thunder players reaching 10 points, Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey led the way. He finished with 34 points on an efficient 21 shots. Giddey added 18 points and nine rebounds.
Neither team shot the ball well, and both were pretty even in terms of shot volume and efficiency. The Thunder went 40-of-89 (44.9%) from the field and an ugly 7-of-26 (26.9%) from 3. The Nuggets went 36-of-82 (43.9%) from the field and 10-of-28 (35.7%) from 3.
The differences for the Thunder were inside the paint and from the free-throw line.
The Thunder outscored the Nuggets inside the paint, 58-44. Meanwhile, the Nuggets didn’t cash in on their trips to the charity stripe, going a hideous 17-of-33 (51.5%) from the free-throw line.
Without Jokic, it was an ugly, grind-it-out type of game for both teams that saw the Thunder hit timely shots when needed.
The chemistry of Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey continues to grow, and a game-winning shot against the Nuggets is the latest example of that.
For the Nuggets, Jamal Murray led the way. Murray finished with 26 points, nine assists and five rebounds. Aaron Gordon and Zeke Nnaji both collected double-double’s too. Gordon finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds; Nnaji finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Seven of the nine Nuggets players who played scored at least 10 points.
The Thunder will enjoy two days off before starting a three-game homestand. While it wasn’t the prettiest win against a Nuggets team missing their two-time MVP, there’s no need to discredit this impressive road victory.
Let’s take a look at Thunder player grades.