The Oklahoma City Thunder outlasted the Denver Nuggets 127-121 in overtime, with the return of reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Friday night.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 36 points in his return after missing nine games due to abdominal pain.
Meanwhile, Denver’s Nikola Jokic brawled with Thunder’s Lu Dort in the fourth quarter after dropping 23 points, 17 boards and 14 assists. Dort was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul.
Jamal Murray was listed as questionable due to an illness before the game.
Gilgeous-Alexander was shocked and received loud applause when his name was announced during the pregame introductions.
The teams know each other well, as the Thunder defeated the Nuggets 4-3 in the Western Conference semifinals last year. Oklahoma City won its first two meetings this season and will play twice more.
Both traded physicals from the start, as Gilgeous-Alexander was called for an early technical foul after complaining to the officials that Jokic had made contact with him that was not called.
The Nuggets led 59-50 after making 11 of 20 3-pointers before halftime until Gilgeous-Alexander rallied to score 14 points in the third quarter.
Although Denver led 83-77 in the fourth, the Thunder got off to a hot start in the fourth quarter with Dort’s three-pointer giving them an 86-85 lead.
Dort was ejected for a hard foul on Jokic that led to a scrum near midfield and offsetting technicals on Jokic and Oklahoma City’s Jaylin Williams.
The tight clash went to extra time, level at 107.
Both teams play on Sunday: the Nuggets host the Timberwolves, while the Thunder play in Dallas.
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