Jalen Williams scored 21 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder past the Denver Nuggets 96-84 at Paycom Center on Thursday, Oct. 22, lifting OKC to 2-0 on the young season.

Chet Holmgren added 12 points and 17 rebounds with four blocks. The Thunder trailed by as many as nine in the first half but seized control in the third quarter and held the lead the rest of the way.

The biggest storyline was what didn't happen. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting, ending his streak of consecutive games scoring 20 or more points at 141, according to the Associated Press. The streak of 141 consecutive regular-season games with at least 20 points began Nov. 1, 2024, and surpassed Wilt Chamberlain’s previous record of 126 games, as NBC Sports reported.

Gilgeous-Alexander missed all seven of his field-goal attempts in the first half. A pair of free throws kept him from going scoreless in a half for the first time since his rookie year with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019, according to the AP. It marked just the fourth time in 450 games with the Thunder that he failed to make a field goal in a half.

He scored the first basket of the third quarter to pull OKC within 48-46. A layup by Ajay Mitchell gave the Thunder a 64-62 lead, and 3-pointers by Alex Caruso and Gilgeous-Alexander stretched it to 70-64 after three quarters. Gilgeous-Alexander hit a 3-pointer to make it 93-76 with 1:44 remaining, then asked to come out during a timeout.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praised the decision after the game. "I just have to note, he asked out of the game at the end of the game. The class that it shows and the perspective it shows," Daigneault said, according to Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar.

Gilgeous-Alexander explained his thinking simply. He said he saw Denver had subbed and thought the Thunder should do the same. "You always treat the game with respect," he said, per Rahbar.

Despite the rough shooting night, Gilgeous-Alexander posted a team-best plus-21 rating and hit the 3-pointer that sealed the win, according to NBC Sports.

Aaron Gordon led Denver with 20 points. Nikola Jokic and DeMar DeRozan each scored 13 for the Nuggets, who fell to 0-1 in their season opener. Jokic shot 5-of-19 from the field.

Cason Wallace contributed nine points and four steals for OKC. Mitchell added 12 points and five steals.

The Thunder host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, Oct. 25, at Paycom Center.