Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads OKC Thunder past Denver Nuggets with last-second shot

DENVER — The center of attention waited awhile.

He waited through 47 minutes and 55 seconds of being bumped around. Pushed off his block, bruised. Forced out of character. Through what seemed like a Jamal Murray dagger, he remained a stone. Even after he cast his best MVP impression in OKC’s 118-117 win and drilled the biggest shot of the night — and perhaps his career — he stood patient.

A building deflated around him behind a collective gasp. His teammates threw themselves into his chest. Nothing.

Then, after creeping through the hallways of Ball Arena and wiping his feet across the carpet of Denver’s visiting locker room, his rookie teammate saw it. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander smiled.

“He should still smile some more,” Holmgren quipped.

So is the way of Gilgeous-Alexander — the mid-range loving, blank-faced, franchise-leading cowboy with a smoking gun that’s ended enough wars that he no longer blows out the smoke. His Saturday night game winner, which capped off a 25-point, six-rebound, eight-assist performance, appeared as just another cloud he’d step through.

“He has a great understanding of knowing the game’s not over,” Holmgren said.

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Perhaps even as he walked away from the aftermath, the destruction his cold-blooded 8-foot jumper caused, it still didn’t feel over. The Nuggets can do that.

The two teams’ first meeting back saw SGA’s worst game of his career: Seven points, 2-of-16 shooting. Through three quarters, Denver kept things as physical with him as anyone has. His 14 points on 5-for-15 shooting to that point made it seem like he’d been solved.

Lineups led by Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams didn’t turn in great results against the Nuggets’ second unit. When Williams got his usual second chance in the fourth quarter, the non-Nikola Jokic, non-Murray minutes weren’t exactly delightful then either.

Even down to the game's final minutes, OKC seemed spent trying to configure Jokic. The masterful puppeteer — who finished with 24 points, six rebounds and 12 assists — manipulated the Thunder defense, perfectly timing his contact through OKC’s two-big lineups and fitting passes into crevices only he’d consider.

He gave Denver every chance. When the young Thunder would whittle the Nuggets’ lead, Denver would respond with some sort of 3-pointer or free throws for separation.

With the hole OKC saw itself in, there was only one way.

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One way to get its get back, one way to judge — even if just for a night — the momentary between these two eerily aligned teams. SGA would have to be SGA.

When he subbed in with 7:43 to play, he shed every earlier possession. With less than two minutes to go, he ripped Michael Porter Jr. for a sequence that finished in a Holmgren alley-oop slam.

Still, Denver hadn’t lost its grip on the game.

Not after Porter Jr.’s late jumpshot. Or even after Williams’ late layup.

It stood firm when Gilgeous-Alexander secured one final rebound with less than a shot clock to play. He looked over to coach Mark Daigneault, whose eyes didn’t spell timeout. He hit the gas.

Then he spun into a spot he’s gotten to hundreds of times — “I tried to get to something I was comfortable with,” he said. A spot he’s seen so many times, he might not crack a smile.

“Aye, smile a ‘lil bit, gang,” Holmgren slipped in as Gilgeous-Alexander finished his press conference. “You just hit a gamer. We’ll lock back in tomorrow.”

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Historic night for Chet Holmgren

One thing felt like a common denominator on Saturday.

No rim attempt went unscathed with Chet Holmgren around.

His career-high nine blocks, which he paired with 17 points and 11 rebounds, were emphatic. Three came in succession in the third quarter.

His presence was palpable, so much so that Nikola Jokic was forced to give him praise.

“He was really good today at just being there,” Jokic said. “Yes he had nine blocks, but he was right there just to change your shot.”

Holmgren’s performance even stunned Williams, who was stunned upon hearing the big man’s statline.

“I think I just get kind of used to him blocking shots, kind of numb to that. But that’s dope. That’s what we were missing last year.”

One stat stands above all when evaluating Holmgren's effectiveness. Denver shot 44% of its shots at the rim. It made just 48.7% of those.

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Thunder’s signature win

After an inefficient grind of a first half, after tracking Jokic’s deceitful eyes, after tailing cutters and perimeter shooters all game long, the Thunder stole a win.

Perhaps its best of the season.

Long gone is its Golden State trip, when Holmgren’s believers received reaffirmation of who he was — of what he was capable of — behind a leaning 3-pointer to force overtime. The Warriors have unraveled since, though it hasn’t quite stripped OKC of what it did that night.

But Saturday was different. A game it never controlled, a game against the defending champions and the lone team that’s outclassed it this season. With Jokic as polished as possible, with six Nuggets scorers in double figures. The Thunder proved something to itself and anyone watching.

“We can play with anybody,” Williams said. “...I think it solidifies the thought that we had.”

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Thunder tip-ins

• Josh Giddey played a season-low 15 minutes. He’s seen several games in recent weeks where he’s dipped below 20 minutes.

• After scoring 24 points, Williams had his seventh game with at least 20 points this season.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder beat Nuggets with last-second shot