Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returned to the court Friday night and led his team to a 127-121 overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets, a game marked by escalating tensions and a physical altercation. The win came after Gilgeous-Alexander missed time due to injury, and he delivered with 36 points and 9 assists.
The contest, played in Oklahoma City, saw a heated exchange between Lu Dort of the Thunder and Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets. According to reports, Dort committed a foul against Jokic, leading to the Serbian center charging at Dort. Dort was subsequently ejected from the game, although both Jokic and Oklahoma City forward Jaylin Williams received technical fouls.
Jamal Murray led the Nuggets in scoring with 39 points, while Jokic recorded a triple-double with 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 14 assists. Despite the strong performances from Denver’s stars, the Nuggets were unable to secure the win.
The game was described as “chippy” from the start, with multiple instances of physical play and disagreements between players. The Associated Press reported that tempers flared early when Gilgeous-Alexander threw the ball at Jokic after a foul on Isaiah Hartenstein.
Elsewhere in the NBA on Friday, the Cleveland Cavaliers nearly upset the top team in the Eastern Conference, falling to the Detroit Pistons 122-119 in overtime despite the absence of key players James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. Jalen Duren of the Pistons had a standout performance with 33 points and 16 rebounds. The New York Knicks defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 127-98, led by Jalen Brunson’s 27 points. The Boston Celtics dominated the Brooklyn Nets 148-111, with Jaylen Brown nearly achieving a triple-double with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists. Finally, the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Dallas Mavericks 124-105.
