Chet Holmgren showcased his skills with a powerful one-handed dunk as the Oklahoma City Thunder triumphed over the Denver Nuggets 102-87 in both teams’ season opener on Thursday night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 28 points, while Holmgren contributed an impressive 25 points, along with a career-high tying 14 rebounds, five assists, and four blocked shots. Aaron Wiggins also made an impact off the bench, adding 15 points to the team’s total.
This matchup was particularly significant as both teams had successful previous seasons, finishing with identical 57-25 records. The Thunder secured the top seed in the Western Conference last year via a tiebreaker.
Denver’s Nikola Jokic, the reigning NBA MVP, registered a triple-double with 16 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds. His teammate Jamal Murray scored 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting, while Christian Braun added 16 points and Aaron Gordon contributed 12 points after recently signing a contract extension. However, the Nuggets struggled with their long-range shooting, going just 7 of 39 from beyond the arc.
A standout moment for Holmgren came during the third quarter when he blocked a shot from Jokic, sprinted down the court, received a pass, and delivered a powerful dunk, highlighting his versatility on both ends of the court. Additionally, the Thunder’s bench significantly outperformed the Nuggets’ reserves, scoring 25 points compared to Denver’s 16. New acquisition Russell Westbrook struggled, finishing with six points on 2-of-10 shooting.
Prior to the game, the Nuggets honored the late Dikembe Mutombo by wearing T-shirts featuring his famous finger wag. The team also shared a video tribute highlighting Mutombo’s achievements on and off the court, which was followed by a 55-second applause from fans in recognition of his jersey number. Mutombo passed away last month at the age of 58 after battling brain cancer.
Interestingly, the Thunder entered the season with the league’s youngest roster, averaging just 24 years and 148 days in age.
The Thunder are set to face the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night, while the Nuggets will take on the Los Angeles Clippers the same evening.