**Published** February 2, 2026 2:03pm
Feb 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Bruce Brown (11) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) battle for a loose ball in the fourth quarter at Ball Arena. Photo: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
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.
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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 were 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.
**\--Field Level Media/Reuters**