Thunder edge Nuggets in overtime as Gilgeous-Alexander returns
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 36 points in his first game back from a nine-game absence, guiding the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 127-121 overtime victory against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night in Oklahoma City.
The All-NBA guard, sidelined since early February with an abdominal strain, scored 18 of his points before halftime and 14 more in the third quarter. He did not appear in the extra session, but the Thunder still closed out a tense matchup that featured hard fouls, multiple technicals and an ejection.
Nuggets-Thunder rivalry turns testy
Denver center Nikola Jokić finished with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists, often tangling with Thunder forward Lu Dort. Dort was tossed with 10:11 remaining in regulation after a Flagrant 2 foul on Jokić. During the ensuing altercation, Jokić and Oklahoma City’s Jaylin Williams received offsetting technical fouls.
Jamal Murray, listed as questionable earlier in the day because of an illness, led Denver with 39 points. The Nuggets drained 11 three-pointers in the first half and carried a 59-50 lead into the break.
Late drama decides it
Oklahoma City erased the deficit behind Gilgeous-Alexander’s third-quarter surge, and the teams were deadlocked at 107 after four quarters. The Thunder, who eliminated Denver in seven games in last season’s Western Conference semifinals and won the first two meetings this season, found enough offense in overtime to remain unbeaten against the defending champions this year.
Source: Hoops Wire
