The Oklahoma City Thunder were at home on Monday night as they began their second-round series against the Denver Nuggets.
Oklahoma City had a great start to the game and they never really looked back until late in the fourth quarter after Denver was able to storm back.
Unfortunately for the Thunder, they were unable to hold a late lead after Chet Holmgren missed the second of his two free throw attempts with less than 10 seconds remaining, allowing the Nuggets to get a chance in transition.
Denver was able to take advantage of the situation as former Thunder Russell Westbrook found a wide-open Aaron Gordon, who knocked down the game-winning three-pointer, his second game-winner of the playoffs.
While the Thunder were unable to close out the victory in Game 1, their star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had another incredible performance.
In the game, Shai recorded 33 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one block as he did everything he could to help the Thunder try and hold their late lead.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander operates with the ball as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić defends at Paycom Center on March 9, 2025.
Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images
Despite his incredible performance, it was not enough as the Thunder were stunned by Gordon’s game-winner but Shai did make franchise history during Monday’s game.
By scoring 33 points on Monday night, Shai recorded his 10th 30-point playoff game for the Thunder, joining Kevin Durant and Westbrook as the only other players in franchise history to record 30 or more points in double digit playoff games.
Of course, this does not include the players who did so when the Thunder were still known as the Seattle SuperSonics.
Durant had 39 30-point playoff games while Westbrook had 26 and Shai will now look to close in on their totals by the end of his time with the franchise.
This is an incredible feat for the star point guard but one that ended in disappointment for his team. Now, Shai and the Thunder will look to even the series on Wednesday night in a crucial game at home.
