Shai Gilgeous-Alexander collected 34 points and a season-high 13 assists, Cason Wallace scored a career-high 27 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the host Denver Nuggets 121-111 on Sunday night.
Gilgeous-Alexander has now scored 20 or more points in 120 straight games and got the better of Nikola Jokic in a matchup of the last two NBA MVPs.
Wallace made a career-high seven 3-pointers, Chet Holmgren finished with 14 points and three blocks, and Aaron Wiggins also scored 14 points for Oklahoma City, which never trailed.
It was the first of four games between the Northwest Division teams and the first time they’ve met since the Thunder beat Denver in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals in May.
Peyton Watson had 29 points and Jokic scored 16 points in his second game back from a left knee injury for the Nuggets. Jonas Valanciunas scored 13 points and Jamal Murray had 12 points and 12 assists hours after he was named as a first-time All-Star as a reserve for the All-Star Game on Feb. 15.
Oklahoma City led by 14 midway through the second quarter but had just one field goal over the next 5:49, and Denver cut the deficit to four late in the period. Wallace’s 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds left sent the Thunder to the locker room with a 62-55 halftime lead.
The Thunder’s advantage grew to 72-60 on another 3-pointer from Wallace and Denver responded with an 11-2 run to get within three. Oklahoma City hit four straight from deep to go ahead 89-74.
After a Nuggets layup, Gilgeous-Alexander converted a three-point play to make it 92-76 and took a 16-point lead into the fourth quarter.
The Thunder 8-for-13 from behind the 3-point arc in the third quarter, four of them from Wallace, and they maintained a double-digit lead throughout the fourth quarter.
Watson’s driving layup got Denver within 113-100 but Gilgeous-Alexander hit a step-back 18-footer and fed Wallace for a fast-break dunk, giving Oklahoma City a 120-103 lead with 3:11 left.
