The Denver Nuggets saw their six-game winning streak snapped at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, Dec. 29, by a score of 119-93. While the Nuggets appear to have turned things up of late and are healthy while also looking like one of the NBA’s most dominant teams, a ton of credit should go to this Thunder group.
Not only did Oklahoma City take down the (now) 23-11 Nuggets, but it did so in Denver, where Nikola Jokic and company were 13-2 this season entering the matchup. The victory came behind a monster performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 40 points with four rebounds and three assists while shooting 14-20 from the field. After the huge showing, Nuggets star Nikola Jokic gave the ultimate praise to the 25-year-old guard.
“He’s a problem in this league. The good thing about him is he wants to win. He doesn’t care about numbers,” Jokic said, per Ryan Blackburn of Mile High Sports. “He wants to win, and I think that’s the best thing about him.”
Jokic once again flirted with a triple-double himself, scoring 19 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists, but Oklahoma City’s defense forced him into an uncharacteristic seven turnovers. Gilgeous-Alexander was one of six Thunder players to record a steal, while Chet Holmgren led a group of seven players with at least one block, as the Rookie of the Year candidate blocked two shots himself.
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