Thunder Beat Nuggets 96-84 Behind Williams, Holmgren

Oklahoma City kept its winning start intact, beating the Denver Nuggets 96-84 at Paycom Center on October 22, 2026. Jalen Williams supplied 21 points to lead the Thunder, who improved to 2-0 with their second straight victory. Denver opened its season with a loss despite an efficient 20-point performance from Aaron Gordon.

Williams shot 7-for-15 from the field and added five rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 17 points and three assists, finishing with a plus-21 mark despite shooting 6-for-19. He connected on three of his 11 attempts from beyond the arc.

Chet Holmgren gave Oklahoma City a major presence inside, pairing 12 points with 17 rebounds and four blocks in 28 minutes. He shot 5-for-9 and added two assists and a steal. Ajay Mitchell made his own defensive contribution with five steals and a block, alongside 12 points in 23 minutes.

Gordon was Denver’s standout scorer, making six of nine shots and three of four from long range while collecting six rebounds, two steals and a block. DeMar DeRozan added 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting, but Nikola Jokić endured a difficult shooting night: 5-for-19 overall and 1-for-7 from three. Jokić finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Christian Braun added seven points and six rebounds but shot 3-for-10, including 1-for-6 from deep, as the Nuggets fell to 0-1.