February 27, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) goes up to score next to Denver Nuggets guard/forward Bruce Brown (11) during the third quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images There were plenty of fireworks the last time the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets faced off.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returns after missing nine games due to injury. Gilgeous-Alexander was called for an early technical foul after throwing the ball at Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. Denver’s bench got technical in the third quarter. And Luguentz Dort was ejected late after a hard foul on Jokic, and a brief altercation ended with Jokic and the Thunder’s Jaylin Williams receiving technical fouls.
On Monday, the two teams meet for the first time since their Feb. 27 game in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder won 127-121 in overtime to begin their current five-game winning streak.
Dort later told The Athletic that he was “pushed over the limit” with a hard-hitting foul on Jokic early in the fourth quarter.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said it was no surprise the game was physical, especially after they met in the Western Conference semifinals last season.
“These two teams played each other in a seven-game series. We’re in the same division and we’ve played each other 100 times,” Daigneault said. “They know our playbook, we know their playbook. That’s what it is. It’s going to be an imperfect game and they escalate like that sometimes.”
The game could be a milestone for Gilgeous-Alexander, who will tie Wilt Chamberlain for the most consecutive games with 20 or more points in NBA history at 126.
Gilgeous-Alexander hit a late 3-pointer to put the game away in Saturday’s 104-97 home win over Golden State.
“He’s a great closer,” Daigneault said of Gilgeous-Alexander. “He has great confidence in those situations.
While Oklahoma City won in overtime against Denver on Feb. 27, Gilgeous-Alexander was not on the floor as he played in overtime in his first game back from an abdominal injury. Gilgeous-Alexander has played at least 35 minutes in each of the last two games.
Denver is 2-2 since losing to the Thunder, including a 39-point loss to the Knicks on Friday.
Nuggets coach David Adelman said of the loss to New York that “nobody really competed,” but later added that such losses are “part of the NBA experience.”
That doesn’t seem to be the case against Oklahoma City, especially after their last meeting.
The Nuggets may be without Jamal Murray, who left Friday’s loss to the Knicks with a left ankle injury after playing less than 18 minutes. He is listed as a suspicious person.
It was a huge blow to the healthiest team in quite some time, with Aaron Gordon playing on Friday for the first time since Jan. 23.
“This was absolutely crazy,” Adelman said. “Every time we get someone back, it feels like the game is someone else out. It had nothing to do with the game. It just happened.”
Regardless of whether Murray can compete against the Thunder, Adelman said the plan for facing the Thunder after a loss like Friday’s is simple.
“We have to play a lot better,” Adelman said.
Thunder big man Chet Holmgren (flu) and guard Alex Caruso (left hip) are questionable.
–Field level media
