NBA highlights on Dec. 16: SGA, Holmgren dominate both ends for OKC to win

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Denver Nuggets 118-117 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on Saturday, ending the opponents three-game winning streak.

The Thunder didn't lead between 5:59 in the first quarter and the final second in the fourth period. They trailed 117-116 when there were only 13 seconds left. In their five drive, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) grabbed a rebound and dribbled to the front court without calling a timeout. It was the right decision because he wouldn’t leave coach Michael Malone any chance to draw up a defensive play.

SGA faced Peyton Watson outside the 3-point line. He broke in, forcing Watson to fall back. When SGA reached one step below the free throw line, he created the space with a spin and shot a fadeaway jumper. When the ball fell into the net, the Thunder led again and left the opponents only 0.9 second. The Nuggets' final attack failed as Nikola Jokic's inbound pass was deflected away by Jalen Williams.

Did the Nuggets make a mistake by not double-teaming SGA at the end of the game? It's hard to say because, on one hand, he missed eight of his 11 jumpers before that shot. The closest Nuggets' defender Christian Brawn had to watch out for Isaiah Joe, who averaged 2.5 triples at 43.2 percent per game this season. One the other hand, however, SGA has been shooting to kill in over three seasons and had heated up by making two mid-range jump shots in this quarter.

Before SGA found his offensive form and scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, the Thunder counted on their defense to keep the game alive. They stopped at nothing to try to remove Jokic from the competition. The defender on him always tried to deny the ball. When he had the ball below the free throw line, double-teaming would happen quickly. Though Jokic still managed to drop a double-double of 24 points and 12 assists, he only took 15 shots and went 2-for-7 under the rim.

The whole team of the Nuggets got 52 points at 50 percent in the paint, outmatched by the Thunder in both production (64 points) and efficiency (65.3 percent). Chet Holmgren was the difference-maker on this front. He delivered as many as nine blocks for the Thunder, shutting down every Nugget who tried to challenge his place.

The Thunder rose to the second in the West after this win while the Nuggets dropped to the fourth. Though the Most Valuable Player (MVP) race this season is still mainly between Jokic and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, SGA has been making himself an increasingly serious candidate with more and more highlights like the one on Saturday night.

Other games on Saturday (away teams come first):

Philadelphia 76ers 135-82 Charlotte Hornets

The 76ers extended their winning streak to six games and gave the Hornets their worst loss in franchise history at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Embiid shot 18-for-23 from the field to drop 42 points and 15 rebounds in less than 30 minutes in three quarters. He had 18 points in the first period alone, outscoring the whole team of the Hornets (17).

The Hornets missed three of their regular starters, LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward and P.J. Washington, because of either injury or illness, in Saturday's game. They only had two players score double-digit points and neither reached 15. They are on a four-game losing streak which will probably continue because all of the opponents they are scheduled to face in the rest of 2023 are playoff teams.

Brooklyn Nets 120-124 Golden State Warriors

The Warriors ended their three-game losing streak due to the incredible performances by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who combined to knock down 10 triples at 58.8 percent at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California. Curry made the 3,500th 3-pointer of his career in the first quarter, continuing to make his lead in this category even more purchasable. He also went 7-for-7 in field goals (FGs) in the final quarter to contribute 16 significant points for the Warriors' victory.

Brandin Podziemski started for the second consecutive time for the Warriors in Saturday's game and he proved it the right call of coach Steve Kerr by draining four triples and getting 19 points, five assists and three steals.

Detroit Pistons 114-146 Milwaukee Bucks

Atlanta Hawks 119-127 Cleveland Cavaliers

Chicago Bulls 116-118 Miami Heat

Indiana Pacers 109-127 Minnesota Timberwolves

Dallas Mavericks 131-120 Portland Trail Blazers

Utah Jazz 104-125 Sacramento Kings

New York Knicks 122-144 Los Angeles Clippers