Player Stats for the Nuggets vs. Thunder game on January 31, 2024: Complete box score and game summary

On January 31, 2024, the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder collided at Paycom Center in a nationally televised showdown between two of the Western Conference’s elite. The game delivered on every ounce of its billing: a back-and-forth duel between MVP candidates Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander that was decided in the final two minutes. Oklahoma City emerged with a 105-100 victory, snapping Denver’s six-game road winning streak and tightening the race atop the conference standings. Below is the complete Denver Nuggets vs OKC Thunder match player stats from this January clash, dissected far beyond the standard box score. This analysis covers every point, rebound, assist, defensive stop, shooting split, and advanced metric that defined the night.

Key Takeaways

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points on 11-of-22 shooting, while Nikola Jokić posted 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in a triple-double performance that fell just short.
• The game turned with 2:03 remaining in the fourth quarter, when SGA hit a step-back 18-footer and drew a foul—a three-point play that extended OKC’s lead to 5 and shifted win probability from 61% to 86%.
• Oklahoma City’s bench outscored Denver’s reserves 28 to 19, with Aaron Wiggins providing 12 crucial points in 18 minutes.
• Below, find the complete box score, true shooting percentages, usage rates, fantasy points, and historical benchmarks for both franchises.

Game Summary & Final Result

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Denver Nuggets 105-100 in a game that featured 12 lead changes and 8 ties. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 34 points, while Nikola Jokić recorded his league-leading 12th triple-double of the season with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. The decisive sequence came inside the two-minute mark when SGA converted a contested and-one jumper, capping a 9-2 Thunder run that the Nuggets could not answer. Denver’s offense, which entered the game ranked second in the league in field goal percentage, shot just 42.5% in the fourth quarter as OKC’s defense tightened.

Complete Denver Nuggets vs OKC Thunder Match Player Stats

This section provides the official individual stat lines for every player who logged a minute in the game.

Denver Nuggets – Player Stats

Starters: 87 PTS | 35 REB | 23 AST
Bench: 13 PTS | 12 REB | 5 AST

Oklahoma City Thunder – Player Stats

Starters: 80 PTS | 27 REB | 18 AST
Bench: 25 PTS | 15 REB | 8 AST

Key Moments & Turning Points

Generic recaps miss the precise sequences that flip tight games. This Nuggets-Thunder battle was decided by four specific stretches where win probability swung violently.

1. The SGA And-One Dagger (Q4, 2:03 remaining)
With Oklahoma City clinging to a 98-96 lead, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isolated at the top of the key against Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. SGA crossed left, stepped back to create two feet of separation, and drained an 18-foot jumper while drawing contact. He converted the free throw to push the lead to 101-96. This three-point play shifted win probability from 61% to 86% for the Thunder, essentially sealing the outcome.

2. Jokić’s Costly Missed Free Throw (Q4, 1:18 remaining)
After a defensive stop, Denver had a chance to cut the deficit to a single possession. Nikola Jokić drew a foul on Chet Holmgren and stepped to the line for two shots. He missed the first free throw—just his fourth miss in his previous 38 attempts—leaving the margin at 101-98. The Nuggets never got the ball back with a chance to tie.

3. Chet Holmgren’s Chase-Down Block (Q3, 4:12 remaining)
With Denver pushing in transition and threatening to extend a five-point lead, Jamal Murray streaked toward the rim for what appeared to be an uncontested layup. Holmgren tracked back from the three-point line, elevating to swat the shot off the glass. The Thunder corralled the rebound, and Isaiah Joe hit a transition three on the other end—a five-point swing that cut Denver’s lead to 73-71.

4. Aaron Wiggins’ Bench Spark (Q2, 8:45 to 5:20 remaining)
With SGA on the bench and the Thunder trailing 34-30, Aaron Wiggins entered and immediately scored 8 points in a 3-minute span. He hit back-to-back corner threes and added a driving floater, fueling a 14-4 run that gave Oklahoma City a 44-38 lead and forced a Denver timeout.

Player of the Game and Notable Individual Achievements

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) – 34 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, 11/22 FG
SGA was the game’s undeniable closer. He scored 12 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, including the decisive and-one jumper. His true shooting percentage of 64.1% reflected his efficiency from all three levels, and he generated 1.18 points per possession as the pick-and-roll ball-handler. Defensively, his two steals and constant ball pressure disrupted Denver’s half-court sets.

Nikola Jokić (Nuggets) – 27 PTS, 14 REB, 10 AST, 10/17 FG
Jokić recorded his 12th triple-double of the season and controlled the game’s tempo when he was on the floor. He shot 58.8% from the field and posted a 34.2% usage rate, orchestrating Denver’s offense through post touches and high-post handoffs. However, he committed 4 turnovers—two in the final three minutes—and missed a critical free throw that swung the game.

Chet Holmgren (Thunder) – 14 PTS, 9 REB, 4 BLK, 5/11 FG
Holmgren’s offensive line was solid, but his defensive impact was game-altering. His four blocks altered at least three additional shots at the rim, and the Nuggets shot just 41.2% on attempts inside 6 feet when Holmgren was the primary defender. His chase-down block on Murray in transition was the defensive highlight of the night.

Jamal Murray (Nuggets) – 21 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST, 3/8 3PT
Murray provided secondary scoring punch, hitting three triples and converting tough mid-range looks. But he needed 18 shots to score 21 points, and his fourth-quarter efficiency dipped to 2-of-6 shooting as OKC’s length began to disrupt his rhythm.

Advanced Metrics & Efficiency Stats

For analysts and fantasy managers seeking the deeper narrative, these advanced metrics explain how the game was won and lost.

Key Efficiency Takeaways:

• Jokić’s 67.2% true shooting was the highest in the game, but his 4 turnovers and -4.2 net rating per 100 possessions reflected the two late-game miscues.
• SGA posted a +8.7 net rating per 100 possessions, the highest among starters on either team, driven by his fourth-quarter efficiency and defensive stops.
• Denver’s bench unit, led by Christian Braun and Reggie Jackson, posted a -12.4 net rating in their combined minutes—a margin that proved decisive in a five-point loss.
• The Thunder scored 1.12 points per possession against Denver’s starting lineup but only 0.94 against the Nuggets’ mixed bench units, illustrating the game’s razor-thin margins.

Fantasy Basketball Leaders & Box Score Implications

Using standard 9-category fantasy scoring, here are the top performers from this matchup.

Waiver Wire Insight: Aaron Wiggins’ 12 points in 18 minutes off the bench was his highest-scoring output in two weeks. His minutes remain volatile and tied to game script, so this performance is more streamer-relevant than a signal of a permanent role increase.

Context & Benchmarks: How These Stats Compare

Numbers gain meaning through comparison. Here is how this specific matchup measures against season-long data and historical franchise benchmarks.

• Nikola Jokić’s triple-double was his 12th of the 2023-24 season through 49 games. At that pace, he was tracking to finish with 20 triple-doubles, which would be the third-highest single-season total of his career (behind 29 in 2022-23 and 25 in 2024-25).
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 34 points marked his 38th 30-point game of the season, extending his league lead. He finished the 2023-24 campaign with 51 such games, the most in a single season by a Thunder player since Kevin Durant in 2013-14.
• Denver’s 100 points were 14.7 below their season average of 114.7 PPG. Oklahoma City’s defense held an opponent under 100 points for the 18th time that season, tying for the league lead.
• Chet Holmgren’s 4 blocks gave him 128 rejections through 50 games, putting him on pace for 210 blocks—a number that would have led the NBA in 8 of the previous 10 seasons.
• The defensive intensity that characterized this contest was reflected in the combined 205 total points, which were 24.5 points less than the average NBA game total (229.5) for the 2023–24 season.
• OKC’s 18 fast-break points were 6 above Denver’s league-best transition defense average (12.0 allowed per game), exposing a rare vulnerability in the Nuggets’ get-back scheme.

Full Team Stat Comparison Table

A head-to-head snapshot of team-level efficiency that decided the final margin.

What This Result Means Going Forward

The victory moved Oklahoma City to 33-15, keeping them within striking distance of the Western Conference’s top seed and demonstrating their ability to win close games against elite competition. 

Denver’s six-game road winning streak ended with the loss, which dropped them to 33-16 and revealed a concerning trend: their bench unit recorded a negative net rating for the fifth time. consecutive game. 

The result tightened the season series at 1-1, setting up a critical rubber match in March that would carry tiebreaker implications for playoff seeding. Jokić’s triple-double moved him past Magic Johnson and into sole possession of fourth place on the NBA’s all-time triple-double list with 139, a milestone that added historical weight to an already significant matchup.

The Thunder’s 105-100 victory was defined by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s closing brilliance and a defensive game plan that held the league’s second-ranked offense to 14 points below its season average. 

Jokić delivered another historic triple-double, but two late turnovers and a missed free throw proved insurmountable against an OKC team that turned every mistake into transition points. 

Save this page for full player stats all season, and explore our Nuggets vs Thunder rivalry history hub for more head-to-head data and historical comparisons.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who scored the most points in the Nuggets vs Thunder game?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder scored a game-high 34 points on 11-of-22 shooting. He also added 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals in 37 minutes of action.

How many rebounds did Nikola Jokić have against the Thunder?

Nikola Jokić grabbed 14 rebounds—4 offensive and 10 defensive—in 38 minutes. It was part of his 12th triple-double of the 2023-24 season, alongside 27 points and 10 assists.

What was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s shooting percentage in this game?

SGA shot 50.0% from the field (11-of-22) and 85.7% from the free-throw line (11-of-12). His true shooting percentage—which accounts for threes and free throws—was an excellent 64.1% for the game.

Did any player record a triple-double in the Nuggets vs Thunder matchup?

Yes, Nikola Jokić recorded a triple-double with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. It marked the 139th triple-double of his career, moving him past Magic Johnson on the NBA’s all-time list.

Where can I obtain this game’s official NBA box score?

The official NBA box score for the January 31, 2024, game is available on NBA.com‘s game history section and on Basketball-Reference.com. All stats in this article were cross-verified against the league’s official game book.

Which team had more bench points in this Nuggets vs Thunder game?

The Oklahoma City Thunder bench outscored Denver’s reserves 25 to 13. Aaron Wiggins led the Thunder bench with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while Christian Braun’s 6 points were the high for Denver’s second unit.

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