Nuggets Struggle in Second Half as Thunder Pull Away for 96-84 Victory in Season Opener.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The Denver Nuggets opened their 2026-27 NBA season with a disappointing 96-84 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night, as Denver struggled to maintain its early momentum against the defending champions. Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 20 points, while Nikola Jokic and DeMar DeRozan each contributed 13. Despite a competitive first half, Denver was unable to keep pace with Oklahoma City's second-half surge. The Nuggets took advantage of an unusually difficult shooting performance from Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, building a lead that reached nine points during the opening half. Gilgeous-Alexander missed all seven of his field goal attempts before halftime, finishing the first two quarters with just two points from the free-throw line. However, Oklahoma City found enough production elsewhere to remain within striking distance. Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 21 points, while Chet Holmgren provided a strong presence inside, recording 12 points and 17 rebounds. Their contributions helped Oklahoma City stay competitive until its offense began finding a rhythm after halftime. Gilgeous-Alexander opened the third quarter with a basket that trimmed Denver's lead to 48-46. Oklahoma City continued applying pressure before a layup from Ajay Mitchell put the Thunder ahead 64-62, giving them their first lead since the opening minutes.
Three-pointers from Alex Caruso and Gilgeous-Alexander helped Oklahoma City close the third quarter with a 70-64 advantage. Denver struggled to respond in the fourth quarter as the Thunder continued to increase their lead. Gilgeous-Alexander connected on another three-pointer with 1:44 remaining, extending Oklahoma City's advantage to 93-76 and effectively putting the game out of reach.
Despite his slow start, Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting. The performance ended his streak of 140 consecutive games scoring at least 20 points.
For Denver, the loss highlighted the challenge of sustaining offensive production against a disciplined Oklahoma City team. Gordon provided the Nuggets with their strongest scoring performance, but Denver could not generate enough offense in the second half to regain control. The Nuggets will now turn their attention to their home opener against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night, looking to bounce back and secure their first victory of the season. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, will remain at home to face the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.
