Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren lead Thunder to 102-87 win over Nuggets in season opener
DENVER (AP) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, Chet Holmgren added 25 as part of a stellar all-around performance and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 102-87 on Thursday night in the season opener for both teams.
Holmgren proved to be a handful on both ends of the floor. He tied a career high with 14 rebounds, and had five assists and blocked four shots. Reserve Aaron Wiggins added 15 points.
It was an important divisional game right out of the gate. The Thunder and Nuggets both finished 57-25 last season, with the Thunder earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference by virtue of a tiebreaker.
Reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic had 16 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds for Denver.
Jokic's point guard partner, Jamal Murray, had 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting. Christian Braun added 16 points. while Aaron Gordon, fresh off signing a new contract extension, added 12 points. Denver was 7 of 39 on 3-pointers.
Thunder: Holmgren can run the floor with authority. In the third quarter, he blocked a shot by Jokic, ran the down the court, took a pass and and threw down a powerful dunk.
Nuggets: The Thunder's bench outscored the Nuggets' reserves 25-16. New addition Russell Westbrook had six points on 2-of-10 shooting.
Before the game, Denver players and coaches paid tribute to the late Dikembe Mutombo by wearing T-shirts emblazoned with an image of the big man’s iconic finger wag. In the first quarter, the team showed a video tribute celebrating Mutombo’s big accomplishments on and off the court. Then, fans stood and applauded for 55 seconds - his number. Mutombo died last month of brain cancer. He was 58.
At an average of 24 years, 148 days, the Thunder opened the regular season with the youngest roster in the league.
The Thunder are at Chicago on Saturday night, while the Nuggets host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.
---
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Copyright 2024 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:52 |  | Jump ball. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Jamal Murray (Isaiah Joe gains possession) | ||
| 11:41 |  | Nikola Jokic blocks Chet Holmgren's two point floating jump shot | ||
| 11:38 | | Chet Holmgren offensive rebound | ||
| 11:37 | | Chet Holmgren turnover (lost ball) (Christian Braun steals) | ||
| 11:36 | | Jalen Williams personal foul (Nikola Jokic draws the foul) | ||
| 11:30 | | +3 | Nikola Jokic makes three point jump shot (Aaron Gordon assists) | 0-3 |
| 11:17 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses two point driving finger roll layup | ||
| 11:16 | | Aaron Gordon defensive rebound | ||
| 11:02 | | Christian Braun turnover (bad pass) (Luguentz Dort steals) | ||
| 10:55 | | Luguentz Dort misses three point running pullup jump shot | ||
| 10:51 | | Christian Braun defensive rebound | ||
| 10:47 | | Michael Porter Jr. misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:46 | | Thunder defensive rebound | ||
| 10:36 | | +2 | Isaiah Joe makes two point floating jump shot (Jalen Williams assists) | 2-3 |
| 10:20 | | Michael Porter Jr. misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:19 | | Chet Holmgren defensive rebound | ||
| 10:12 | | +3 | Jalen Williams makes three point jump shot (Chet Holmgren assists) | 5-3 |
| 9:52 | | Jalen Williams shooting foul (Jamal Murray draws the foul) | ||
| 9:52 | | +1 | Jamal Murray makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 5-4 |
| 9:52 | | +1 | Jamal Murray makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 5-5 |
| 9:36 | | Jalen Williams turnover (bad pass) (Christian Braun steals) | ||
| 9:26 | | +2 | Christian Braun makes two point layup (Jamal Murray assists) | 5-7 |
| 9:18 | | Chet Holmgren misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:16 | | Christian Braun defensive rebound | ||
| 8:59 | | Jamal Murray misses two point turnaround fadeaway jump shot | ||
| 8:57 | | Nuggets offensive rebound | ||
| 8:57 | | Luguentz Dort personal foul (Loose ball) (Aaron Gordon draws the foul) | ||
| 8:47 | | Christian Braun misses three point jump shot | ||
| 8:44 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander defensive rebound | ||
| 8:24 | | Christian Braun blocks Isaiah Joe's three point jump shot | ||
| 8:20 | | Nikola Jokic defensive rebound | ||
| 8:18 | | +2 | Aaron Gordon makes two point running reverse layup (Nikola Jokic assists) | 5-9 |
| 8:08 | | Jalen Williams turnover (bad pass) (Aaron Gordon steals) | ||
| 8:04 | | +2 | Jamal Murray makes two point running finger roll layup (Aaron Gordon assists) | 5-11 |
| 7:47 | | +2 | Luguentz Dort makes two point bank jump shot (Chet Holmgren assists) | 7-11 |
| 7:47 | | Nikola Jokic shooting foul (Luguentz Dort draws the foul) | ||
| 7:47 | | +1 | Luguentz Dort makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 8-11 |
| 7:38 | | +3 | Jamal Murray makes three point jump shot (Nikola Jokic assists) | 8-14 |
| 7:28 | | Chet Holmgren misses three point jump shot | ||
| 7:25 | | Michael Porter Jr. defensive rebound | ||
| 7:19 | | Aaron Gordon turnover (bad pass) (Chet Holmgren steals) | ||
| 7:14 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses three point stepback jump shot | ||
| 7:10 | | Nikola Jokic defensive rebound | ||
| 7:02 | | +2 | Christian Braun makes two point cutting layup (Nikola Jokic assists) | 8-16 |
| 6:45 | | +2 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes two point turnaround fadeaway jump shot | 10-16 |
| 6:26 | | +2 | Nikola Jokic makes two point driving layup (Jamal Murray assists) | 10-18 |
| 6:26 | | Thunder 60 second timeout | ||
| 6:12 | | Cason Wallace misses three point jump shot | ||
| 6:10 | | Jamal Murray defensive rebound | ||
| 6:07 | | Luguentz Dort personal foul (Jamal Murray draws the foul) | ||
| 6:00 | | Chet Holmgren blocks Michael Porter Jr.'s two point cutting dunk | ||
| 6:00 | | Michael Porter Jr. offensive rebound | ||
| 6:00 | | Michael Porter Jr. turnover (out of bounds step) | ||
| 5:48 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turnover (lost ball) (Nikola Jokic steals) | ||
| 5:47 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander personal foul (Nikola Jokic draws the foul) | ||
| 5:47 | | Nikola Jokic misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 5:47 | | Nuggets offensive rebound | ||
| 5:47 | | +1 | Nikola Jokic makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 10-19 |
| 5:33 | | +3 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes three point pullup jump shot | 13-19 |
| 5:14 | | Julian Strawther misses three point jump shot | ||
| 5:10 | | Luguentz Dort defensive rebound | ||
| 5:00 | | +2 | Chet Holmgren makes two point pullup jump shot (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander assists) | 15-19 |
| 4:49 | | +2 | Michael Porter Jr. makes two point cutting dunk (Russell Westbrook assists) | 15-21 |
| 4:31 | | +2 | Isaiah Joe makes two point stepback jump shot | 17-21 |
| 4:11 | | Russell Westbrook turnover (bad pass) (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander steals) | ||
| 4:08 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses two point running layup | ||
| 4:06 | | Cason Wallace offensive rebound | ||
| 4:05 | | Cason Wallace misses two point tip layup | ||
| 4:04 | | Cason Wallace offensive rebound | ||
| 4:03 | | Cason Wallace misses two point putback layup | ||
| 4:03 | | Chet Holmgren offensive rebound | ||
| 4:03 | | +2 | Chet Holmgren makes two point putback layup | 19-21 |
| 4:03 | | Michael Porter Jr. shooting foul (Chet Holmgren draws the foul) | ||
| 4:03 | | Nuggets 60 second timeout | ||
| 4:03 | | +1 | Chet Holmgren makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 20-21 |
| 3:45 | | Russell Westbrook misses three point jump shot | ||
| 3:44 | | Thunder defensive rebound | ||
| 3:28 | | Ousmane Dieng misses three point jump shot | ||
| 3:27 | | Thunder offensive rebound | ||
| 3:25 | | +3 | Ousmane Dieng makes three point jump shot (Alex Caruso assists) | 23-21 |
| 3:14 | | +2 | Nikola Jokic makes two point dunk (Russell Westbrook assists) | 23-23 |
| 2:58 | | +2 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes two point driving finger roll layup | 25-23 |
| 2:45 | | Peyton Watson misses three point jump shot | ||
| 2:42 | | Ousmane Dieng defensive rebound | ||
| 2:34 | | Julian Strawther shooting foul (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander draws the foul) | ||
| 2:34 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 2:34 | | Thunder offensive rebound | ||
| 2:34 | | +1 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 26-23 |
| 2:18 | | Jamal Murray misses three point jump shot | ||
| 2:13 | | Jamal Murray offensive rebound | ||
| 2:13 | | Jamal Murray turnover (out of bounds lost ball) | ||
| 2:01 | | Jalen Williams misses three point pullup jump shot | ||
| 1:58 | | Peyton Watson defensive rebound | ||
| 1:42 | | Julian Strawther misses two point driving reverse layup | ||
| 1:42 | | Peyton Watson offensive rebound | ||
| 1:42 | | Peyton Watson misses two point tip layup | ||
| 1:42 | | Nuggets offensive rebound | ||
| 1:28 | | Jamal Murray misses two point fadeaway jump shot | ||
| 1:25 | | Alex Caruso defensive rebound | ||
| 1:09 | | +2 | Aaron Wiggins makes two point turnaround fadeaway jump shot | 28-23 |
| 0:48 | | Alex Caruso shooting foul (Russell Westbrook draws the foul) | ||
| 0:48 | | Russell Westbrook misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 0:48 | | Nuggets offensive rebound | ||
| 0:48 | | +1 | Russell Westbrook makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 28-24 |
| 0:32 | | +3 | Ousmane Dieng makes three point jump shot (Isaiah Joe assists) | 31-24 |
| 0:12 | | Jamal Murray turnover (out of bounds bad pass) | ||
| 0:03 | | Peyton Watson blocks Jalen Williams's two point pullup jump shot | ||
| 0:03 | | Russell Westbrook defensive rebound | ||
| 0:00 | | Jamal Murray misses three point running jump shot | ||
| 0:00 | | Nuggets offensive rebound | ||
| 0:00 | | End of period |
| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:51 | | +2 | Russell Westbrook makes two point driving finger roll layup (Julian Strawther assists) | 31-26 |
| 11:35 | | Russell Westbrook blocks Cason Wallace's two point driving layup | ||
| 11:35 | | Thunder offensive rebound | ||
| 11:29 | | Jalen Williams misses two point pullup jump shot | ||
| 11:26 | | Thunder offensive rebound | ||
| 11:21 | | +2 | Aaron Wiggins makes two point driving layup (Alex Caruso assists) | 33-26 |
| 11:01 | | Russell Westbrook misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:58 | | Alex Caruso defensive rebound | ||
| 10:36 | | Aaron Wiggins turnover (bad pass) (Julian Strawther steals) | ||
| 10:30 | | +2 | Julian Strawther makes two point running layup | 33-28 |
| 10:25 | | +2 | Jalen Williams makes two point layup | 35-28 |
| 10:25 | | Dario Saric shooting foul (Jalen Williams draws the foul) | ||
| 10:25 | | Jalen Williams misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | ||
| 10:20 | | Jalen Williams offensive rebound | ||
| 10:18 | | Alex Caruso misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:17 | | Peyton Watson defensive rebound | ||
| 10:07 | | +2 | Dario Saric makes two point layup | 35-30 |
| 9:59 | | Cason Wallace misses two point driving finger roll layup | ||
| 9:57 | | Alex Caruso offensive rebound | ||
| 9:56 | | Alex Caruso misses two point putback layup | ||
| 9:54 | | Dario Saric defensive rebound | ||
| 9:43 | | Russell Westbrook misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:41 | | Alex Caruso defensive rebound | ||
| 9:29 | | Ajay Mitchell misses two point pullup jump shot | ||
| 9:25 | | Peyton Watson defensive rebound | ||
| 9:15 | | Dario Saric misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:12 | | Peyton Watson offensive rebound | ||
| 9:12 | | +2 | Peyton Watson makes two point putback dunk | 35-32 |
| 8:52 | | +2 | Aaron Wiggins makes two point driving layup (Jalen Williams assists) | 37-32 |
| 8:31 | | Jamal Murray misses two point turnaround jump shot | ||
| 8:27 | | Aaron Wiggins defensive rebound | ||
| 8:22 | | +3 | Aaron Wiggins makes three point running pullup jump shot | 40-32 |
| 8:22 | | Nuggets 60 second timeout | ||
| 8:06 | | Russell Westbrook turnover (traveling) | ||
| 7:51 | | +2 | Chet Holmgren makes two point turnaround jump shot (Ajay Mitchell assists) | 42-32 |
| 7:44 |