SGA opts for 'respect' over record, subs out of blowout to end 20-point streak

Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his first game under 20 points in nearly two years, finishing with 17 points in Thursday night's 96-84 home win over the Denver Nuggets to snap his NBA record streak of 20-point games.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 32 points in a convincing win over San Antonio on Tuesday night, shot just 6-of-19 from the field against Denver in failing to reach 20 points for the first time since Oct. 30, 2024, a streak of 141 regular-season games.

He had just under two minutes left to score three more points and extend his streak, but with the Oklahoma City up 93-76 with 1:43 left, he asked Thunder coach Mark Daigneault to sub him out.

"I was gonna go out there, and then I saw that [the Nuggets] had subbed, so I thought we should sub, too," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "You always treat the game with respect."

Daigneault said he wanted to leave Gilgeous-Alexander in the game because an "historic streak" was on the line and praised his star player for choosing to end his night.

"I just think of the class that it shows and the perspective that it shows for him to say, 'Hey, I'm out now. The game's calling for me to be subbed out,'" Daigneault said. "That was his substitution. And of all the things that I admire about him, that's toward the top of the list in terms of moments that I appreciate about him."

Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's two-time reigning MVP, missed all seven shots he took in the first 24 minutes as the Thunder trailed by as many as nine points. A pair of free throws kept him from going scoreless in a half for the first time since his rookie year with the Clippers in 2019.

It marked just the fourth time in 450 games with the Thunder he's gone without a field goal in a half in. Gilgeous-Alexander scored the first basket of the third quarter to pull Oklahoma City to 48-46.

Aaron Gordon scored 20 points and Nikola Jokic and DeMar DeRozan added 13 apiece for Denver, which was playing its first game.

A layup by Mitchell gave the Thunder a 64-62 lead -- their first since 3-0 -- and 3-pointers by Alex Caruso and Alexander extended it to 70-64 after three quarters. Oklahoma City extended the advantage to 93-76 on a 3 by Gilgeous-Alexander to give him 17 points with 1:44 left. He then asked to be taken out during a timeout and did not return to the game.

Jalen Williams scored 21 points, and Chet Holmgren had 12 points and 17 rebounds for the Thunder.