Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored fewer than 20 points for the first time in nearly two years, finishing with 17 in Thursday night’s 96-84 home win over the Denver Nuggets. The performance ended his NBA-record streak of 20-point games.
Gilgeous-Alexander had scored 32 points in a convincing win over San Antonio on Tuesday night. Against Denver, he shot just 6 of 19 from the field and failed to reach 20 points for the first time since October 30, 2024, a run of 141 regular-season games.
He had just under two minutes left to add three more points and extend the streak. However, with Oklahoma City leading 93-76 with 1:43 remaining, he asked Thunder coach Mark Daigneault to substitute him off.
Gilgeous-Alexander Explains Decision
“I was going to go out there, and then I saw that [the Nuggets] had subbed, so I thought we should sub, too,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You always treat the game with respect.”
Daigneault said he would have been willing to leave his star in the game, given that a “historic streak” was on the line. He praised the maturity Gilgeous-Alexander showed in making the call.
“I just think of the class that it shows and the perspective that it shows for him to say, ‘Hey, I’m out now. The game’s calling for me to be subbed out,'” Daigneault said. “That was his substitution. And of all the things that I admire about him, that’s toward the top of the list in terms of moments that I appreciate about him.”
A Difficult Night from the Field
Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s two-time reigning MVP, missed all seven of his shots in the first 24 minutes as the Thunder trailed by as many as nine points. A pair of free throws prevented him from going scoreless in a half for the first time since his rookie season with the LA Clippers in 2019.
It was only the fourth time in 450 games with the Thunder that he had gone without a field goal in a half. He opened the third quarter with a basket that brought Oklahoma City within 48-46.
Thunder Pull Clear
Ajay Mitchell put the Thunder ahead 64-62 with a layup, their first lead since the opening minutes at 3-0. Three-pointers from Alex Caruso and Gilgeous-Alexander stretched the advantage to 70-64 after three quarters. Gilgeous-Alexander then hit a three to make it 93-76 and give himself 17 points with 1:44 left, before he asked to come out during a timeout and did not return.
Jalen Williams scored 21 points for Oklahoma City, while Chet Holmgren added 12 points and 17 rebounds. For Denver, which was playing its first game of the season, Aaron Gordon scored 20 points, and Nikola Jokic and DeMar DeRozan each added 13.