Gilgeous-Alexander returns with 36 in Thunder’s OT win over Nuggets

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 36 points in his return from a nine-game absence due to an abdominal strain, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder defeat the Denver Nuggets 127-121 in overtime on Friday night. The heated contest featured multiple technical fouls and an ejection.

The reigning MVP did not play in overtime, but Oklahoma City managed to secure the win in the extra period, News.Az reports, citing AP.

Nikola Jokic finished with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists for Denver. He was involved in a fourth-quarter altercation with Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort, who was ejected after being assessed a Flagrant 2 foul.

Denver guard Jamal Murray, listed as questionable before the game due to illness, led all Nuggets scorers with 39 points.

Gilgeous-Alexander received a loud ovation during pregame introductions and made his presence felt early, scoring on a driving layup just two minutes into the contest.

The two teams are well acquainted. The Thunder edged the Nuggets 4-3 in last season’s Western Conference semifinals and have already won the first two meetings between the teams this season, with two more games scheduled.

Physical play defined the matchup from the outset. Gilgeous-Alexander was called for a technical foul early after throwing the ball toward Jokic following contact after a whistle. Denver’s bench was also assessed a technical in the third quarter, and tensions remained high throughout with frequent exchanges and shoving.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 18 points in the first half, but Denver took a 59-50 lead into the break after hitting 11 of 20 attempts from three-point range.

He added 14 points in the third quarter as Oklahoma City chipped away at the deficit, though the Nuggets still carried an 83-77 advantage into the fourth.

The Thunder surged early in the final period, and Dort’s three-pointer gave Oklahoma City an 86-85 lead. Shortly afterward, Dort was ejected for a hard foul on Jokic that sparked a midcourt scrum and resulted in offsetting technical fouls for Jokic and Oklahoma City’s Jaylin Williams.

The closely fought contest ultimately went to overtime tied at 107, where the Thunder prevailed despite Gilgeous-Alexander remaining on the bench.

The Nuggets will host Minnesota on Sunday, while the Thunder travel to Dallas.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev