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Alex Caruso's face turned red as he placed his hands on his head.
His skin was boiling after missing a game-winning floater at the end of regulation during OKC's home game against Denver on Friday. It's a shot he knows he should've sank.
But Caruso didn't dwell on that missed opportunity for long. He created another one for himself with just over a minute left in overtime.
The veteran guard stole a pass and raced up the floor before sinking a layup that pushed OKC's lead to two possessions. It never looked back, as it secured a 127-121 win.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC (46-15) with 36 points, nine assists and two steals in his first game back from a nine-game absence due to an abdominal strain. Chet Holmgren also poured in 15 points, 21 rebounds and three blocks.
Here are three takeaways from the win:
Order new book on Thunder's run to NBA title
Thunder, Nuggets get chippy
Jaylin Williams looked around with a smile on his face.
He was amused after getting into a light shoving match with Nikola Jokic during a dead ball late in the first quarter, and yet the guy nicknamed "The Joker" wasn't laughing.
Williams was the fourth Thunder player Jokic shoved in the first quarter alone, as Friday's contest quickly got chippy. It started with a shove on Isaiah Hartenstein, who tried to set a screen on the three-time MVP at the 9:11 mark. That led to a technical foul on Gilgeous-Alexander, who wasn't happy about the play.
Jokic then shoved Lu Dort after battling for a defensive board at the 5:54 mark, which caused him to get into it with Aaron Wiggins while jogging up the floor. No technical fouls were assessed, as was the case for the brief interaction with Williams a few minutes later.
Jokic and Williams then got into another altercation early in the fourth quarter, and this time nobody was laughing.
Dort sent Jokic tumbling to the floor with a bump during an inbound pass. And when Jokic confronted him, he then got into it with Williams. The two big men pulled at each other's jerseys and had to be separated.
Dort was given a Flagrant 2 for unnecessary and excessive contact. Jokic and Williams received technical fouls and stayed in the game.
Chalk the extracurricular activities up to a battle between two teams that are at the top of their class. Both teams are championship contenders, and the game certainly had playoff-caliber intensity from the opening tipoff until the final buzzer.
Another angle of Lu Dort's trip: https://t.co/qDwyDvXR1ppic.twitter.com/dPvJiKTkvT
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 28, 2026
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander willed OKC back into the game
Gilgeous-Alexander often starts the second quarter on the bench.
It's a chance to catch a breather for the superstar guard, who ranks fifth in the NBA in first-quarter minutes per game (10.8) and eighth in first-quarter points per game (7.8).
But on Friday, it was Gilgeous-Alexander who breathed life into OKC to start the second quarter.
The Thunder was fighting an uphill battle, trailing 33-19, and he changed the landscape of the game by getting downhill for finishes at the rim. He also enforced his will on the other end by disrupting passing lanes and playing strong on-ball defense.
Gilgeous-Alexander racked up eight points, two blocks, one steal and one rebound in the first six minutes of the second quarter alone. OKC outscored Denver 19-7 during that stretch to trim the deficit to 40-38 at the 6:04 mark.
OKC's supporting cast stepped up down the stretch
Gilgeous-Alexander couldn't play all night.
The reigning MVP racked up 32 points through three quarters, making him OKC's only double-digit scorer at that point. And when he got a much-needed breather to start the fourth quarter, it was up to his supporting cast to keep the Thunder within striking distance.
It didn't waste any time doing so. Isaiah Joe stole the opening inbound pass and found Jared McCain, who then found the bottom of the net for a 3-pointer.
That set the tone for OKC, which began the fourth quarter on an 11-2 run. And it got contributions across the board, from Dort sinking high-arcing heaves for five quick points to Joe making precision passes for three quick assists.
Gilgeous-Alexander checked back in with 8:03 left in the game. But after helping force overtime, he sat out the entire extra period.
Fortunately, OKC's supporting cast continued to provide exactly that. It closed out the game for one of the Thunder's most impressive wins of the season, and five different players scored during the extra period.
Tip-ins
∎ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in 122 consecutive games. That ranks second in NBA history, only trailing Wilt Chamberlain (126 games).
∎ OKC was without Ajay Mitchell (abdominal strain and left ankle sprain), Thomas Sorber (right ACL surgical recovery) and Jalen Williams (right hamstring strain).
∎ Denver was without Tamar Bates (left foot surgery), Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain), Curtis Jones (G League two-way) and Peyton Watson (right hamstring strain).
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
Thunder at Mavericks
TIPOFF: 7 p.m. Sunday at American Airlines Center in Dallas (FanDuel Sports Network)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Thunder tops Nuggets in OT as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stars in return