On February 1, 2026, the Oklahoma City Thunder secured a 121-111 victory over the Denver Nuggets, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge. Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 13 assists, scored 34 points, and Cason Wallace added a career-best 27 points, including seven 3-pointers. The Thunder, who had lost three of four games, sank 19 3-pointers, going 8 of 13 from long range in the third quarter to expand their lead. Peyton Watson paced the Nuggets with 29 points, but the team never led in the first of four games between the top two teams in the Western Conference this season. The Nuggets' All-Stars, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, had a rather quiet night, with Jokic scoring 16 points and Murray contributing 12 assists but only 12 points. The Thunder led by 14 in the first half and took a 62-55 advantage into the break. The Nuggets pulled to 74-70 in the third quarter, but the Thunder responded with a 12-0 run, all the buckets coming from deep. Both teams were missing several starters, with the Nuggets hoping to get Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson back before the All-Star break and the Thunder without Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell, and Alex Caruso. The Thunder will host the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night, while the Nuggets will visit the Detroit Pistons. The game was a significant win for the Thunder, who beat the Nuggets in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals last May on their way to winning the city's first NBA championship.
