Is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing tonight against Denver Nuggets? Exploring 2x All-Star’s status for season opener (Oct. 24)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to play when the OKC Thunder travel to face the Denver Nuggets on Thursday in what will be both teams’ season opener. The Canadian guard doesn’t feature on OKC’s injury report and should play barring any last-minute injury.

The matchup places two of the best teams in the West against each other. They finished last season with an identical 57-25 record, as OKC got the top seed because of a 3-1 season record over Denver.

Shai had a great season in 2023-24, as he averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. He finished second in MVP voting behind the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic. So, it will be interesting to see how two of the best players from last season begin the year.

While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should play, the Thunder are not without injury concerns. Offseason signing Isaiah Hartenstein suffered a non-displaced left hand fracture that should sideline him for five to six weeks. Jaylin Williams (hamstring) and Kenrich Williams (knee) are out as well. Rookie Nikola Topic is out for the season with a left ACL procedure.

How did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fare in the preseason?

The OKC Thunder played four preseason games where it went 3-1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed the first game but featured in the remaining three matchups. While all the starters' minutes were limited, including him, he averaged 13.3 points and 4.0 assists.

Shai’s best performance came against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 15. In a 124-94 blowout win for OKC, the mercurial guard finished with 19 points, five assists and three rebounds. It is worth mentioning that Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray didn’t suit up for Denver, which explains the lopsided nature of the contest.

SGA is one of the betting favorites to win the MVP this season. He is currently third with odds of +425 behind Luka Doncic (+370) and Nikola Jokic (+400), as per DraftKings Sportsbook. If Shai can maintain his averages from last season and leads the Thunder to the top seed again, he should win the award in all likelihood.

Where and how to watch OKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets?

The OKC Thunder and Denver Nuggets will tip off their season at 10 p.m. EDT on Thursday at Ball Arena. TNT will broadcast the game nationally. Fans can also stream the game live on NBA League Pass and FuboTV.