Watson seals 124-122 win for Nuggets with blocked shot in final second, handing Thunder 1st loss

Updated Nov. 7, 2024 12:00 a.m. ET

Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — Russell Westbrook scored 29 points, Peyton Watson blocked a shot in the closing seconds after missing a pair of free throws at the other end and the injury-riddled Denver Nuggets rallied to beat Oklahoma City 124-122 on Wednesday night to hand the Thunder their first loss of the season.

Nikola Jokic finished with 23 points, 20 rebounds and 16 assists as the Nuggets rebounded from a 16-point deficit in the third quarter. Christian Braun added 24.

Michael Porter Jr. came up big after a slow start, scoring 21 of his 24 points in the second half. The short-handed Nuggets were without power forward Aaron Gordon (strained calf) and point guard Jamal Murray (concussion protocol).

Watson had a chance to seal the game at the line with 16 seconds left but missed both free throws. He made up for it by swatting the shot of a driving Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just before the buzzer sounded.

Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists while Gilgeous-Alexander had 28 points.

Takeaways

Thunder: So defensively sound, the Thunder allowed 69 points in the second half. They entered the contest giving up a league-low 95.9 points a game.

Nuggets: At times, Denver struggled to keep its cool. In addition to coach Michael Malone, Westbrook was given a technical. They kept their cool down the stretch.

Key moment

Down 108-106, the Nuggets went on a 17-7 run to take control of the game. The youngsters, Julian Strawther and Watson, played pivotal roles in that stretch.