OKLAHOMA CITY — After a disappointing 121-119 loss in the series opener, head coach Mark Daigneault and his Oklahoma City Thunder punched back with a 43-point blowout win against the Denver Nuggets in Game 2. Evening the Western Conference semifinals series 1-1, the Thunder's 82-point first half set an NBA record for most playoff points scored before halftime. Then, Oklahoma City kept its foot on the gas pedal, cruising to a 149-106 victory.

After the win, Daigneault responded interestingly to a reporter who asked about the Thunder's response to blowing a 14-point lead in Game 1's two-point loss.

“I didn’t really look at tonight as a response as much as I looked at tonight as us just being who we are, and that’s how we've been all season,” Daigneault said. “We don’t really respond to the last game when we win. We don’t have more confidence when we lose.”

The Thunder outscored the Nuggets 37-20 after halftime, giving Daigneault's starters the fourth quarter off after Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic fouled out with 1:17 left in the third quarter. Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 34 points on 11-of-13 shooting, including a perfect 11-of-11 from the free-throw line, eight assists, and four rebounds. Jalen Williams added 15 points, seven assists, and two blocks, and Chet Holmgren turned in a double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds).

For Gilgeous-Alexander, the historic effort from his team doesn't surprise him.

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We were who we can be tonight. We played to our identity. We were focused. We were confident. We executed the game plan,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “When we do that, and we check all those boxes, it looks it did tonight.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sets NBA playoff record in Thunder win

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots and scores a basket against the Denver Nuggets in the second half during game two of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault watched Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander make NBA playoff history in Game 2, tallying 34 points, eight assists, and ending with a record-breaking plus-51 plus-minus rating. Before Wednesday's game, nobody had ever posted 30 or more points and a plus-50 plus-minus in a single game in the playoffs.