Three takeaways from the OKC Thunder's late-game loss to the Nuggets

Well, finishing the season 82-0 was unrealistic, right?

After a 7-0 start to the Oklahoma City Thunder's 2024-25 season – all wins by double digits – they lost to the Denver Nuggets by just two points on Wednesday night.

Nikola Jokic's 23 points, 20 rebounds and 16 assists and Russell Westbrook's 29 points, six rebounds and six assists were far too much for the Thunder defense, while many of their key offensive players underperformed.

Oklahoma City may have beaten Denver convincingly in the season opener, but the Nuggets didn't miss another game. The lead was 66-55 at halftime, but that number quickly evaporated after a 15-point deficit in the third quarter.

Here are three takeaways from the 124-122 loss:

Although Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a solid scoring output on paper with 28 points on 10 of 19 shooting, turnovers were an issue throughout the game.

The MVP candidate committed a whopping eight turnovers against Denver, failed to control the ball and create some easy scoring opportunities for his opponent. The Nuggets did attack him defensively, but in some cases they were simple mistakes that were unfamiliar to him.

Gilgeous-Alexander has been known to try to increase his 3-point shot attempt production, but sometimes that makes for a bad look or forces him into a turnover. At the end of the game, he shot 0 of 3 from behind the arc, and when he got looks from mid-range, where he led the NBA, he passed them a few times.

Gilgeous-Alexander is still one of the best players in the league with his season averages, but given the experiments he's trying on offense, there's definitely room for error in his game right now. However, eight turnovers can't happen, especially against title contenders like Denver.

Jalen Williams hasn't had the most spectacular start to the regular season, but he was the best player for Oklahoma City last night.

The forward nearly achieved a triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and three steals on 11 of 20 shooting from the field and 4 of 8 shooting from 3-point range. When the thunder needed a bucket, it usually came from him.

Williams was still finding his shot early in the season, but this performance appears to have given him some momentum on offense. Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren have dominated the box score for much of this year, but Williams remains a reliable and important scorer who can reach the 30-point mark in any game.

Assuming Williams continues on this path, there's no reason he couldn't find himself in All-Star contention alongside the rest of Oklahoma City's leading trio.

Obviously, the Thunder would have liked to win for as long as possible.

His historic start helped him defeat his first seven opponents with relative ease and maintain the best defensive rating in the NBA by a wide margin. But the end of a former champion Nuggets team led by one of the greatest centers of all time? Not such a terrible loss.

The Thunder took a lead against Denver in their first meeting of the season, and this time it seemed like the Nuggets were far better prepared. It's difficult to beat this team twice in a row, especially when Jokic was helped by a Westbrook performance that turned back the clock.

The streak wouldn't last forever, and aside from a few select teams like the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City lost to one of the toughest opponents it will face all season. Some of the issues that led to the loss need to be addressed, but there is no reason to view the loss as a major disappointment.

Next up for the Thunder is the Houston Rockets on Friday at 7 p.m. at Paycom Center.

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