Oklahoma City beat Denver 96-84 on a night Gilgeous-Alexander shot 6-of-19, which moved the Thunder to 2-0 and the top seed. The Athletic reported that his run of 20-point games ended at 141.
A Streak Ends, Quietly
The Athletic put the end of Gilgeous-Alexander's 20-point streak at 141 games. He finished with 17 and went 3-of-11 from deep, but his +21 was the best mark of the night. Mark Nilon of Thunderous Intentions wrote that the guard was fine with how it ended. Jalen Williams led the scoring with 21 on 7-of-15. A team that can lose its best scorer's touch and still win by 12 has depth, and that is the asset to watch.
Length Did the Work
Holmgren grabbed 17 rebounds and blocked 4 shots. Denver's two stars shot a combined 7-of-30, and Jamal Murray turned it over six times. Mitchell took five steals and Cason Wallace four, the second of those from a 22-year-old the club just extended for five years. Down 48-44 at the half, Oklahoma City won the third quarter 26-16. Last season's defense allowed 106.5 points per 100 possessions, and this one looks built for the same standard.
Clippers, Suns, Then Dallas
The Clippers come to Paycom on October 25 and the Suns follow on October 26, back to back at home. The trip to Dallas is October 28. Thomas Sorber and Nikola Topic are both out with a projected return of October 26, and Otega Oweh is out until 2027-07-01 after his right Achilles injury. The open question is how Mark Daigneault spreads minutes across two straight nights if the young pair comes back for the second game.
Did Gilgeous-Alexander's 20-point streak end?
Yes. The Athletic reported it ended at 141 games when he scored 17 in the 96-84 win over Denver.
When could Thomas Sorber and Nikola Topic return for the Thunder?
Both are out with a projected return of October 26. That is the night the Thunder host Phoenix, the second game of a home back-to-back.
