​The Oklahoma City Thunder moved to 2-0 on Thursday night with an ugly 96-84 win over the Denver Nuggets. It was a low-scoring game, as both offenses were stagnant for most of the contest, but it was ultimately Oklahoma City that came out on top with a much better second half than Denver.In fact, the third quarter is what flipped the game. After trailing 48-44 at halftime, the Thunder won the third quarter 26-16 and then had a strong start to the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City took control of the game to the point where the starters were able to exit with about two minutes remaining, allowing the younger players to get some run.The big story in this one was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s slow game, as he finished with just 17 points, many of which came in the fourth quarter. He didn’t make a single field goal in the first half and had just two points through the first two quarters, both coming from the free throw line.Gilgeous-Alexander did look better late in the game when it mattered most, but this was one of the most uncharacteristic performances he’s put together in quite some time. His 17-point outing also snapped his streak of 141 consecutive regular-season games scoring at least 20 points.With Gilgeous-Alexander struggling offensively, it was Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell who carried much of the scoring load. Williams finished with a team-high 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting, while Mitchell added 12 points off the bench on 5-of-11 shooting. Chet Holmgren also put together a quality game with 12 points and 17 rebounds. Outside of those three and Gilgeous-Alexander, nobody else on Oklahoma City’s roster reached double figures.And while the Thunder didn’t even eclipse 100 points offensively, it was their defense that made this an impressive victory. Oklahoma City was particularly dominant on that end of the floor in the second half, forcing turnovers and making life difficult for Denver’s offense. The Nuggets finished with just 84 points, which was lower than their scoring total in any single game last season. It’s a reminder that even when the offense isn’t clicking, this Thunder defense is capable of taking over games.Regardless, the Thunder got the win and are now 2-0 to start the season, with victories over the Spurs and Nuggets. From here, Oklahoma City will remain at home for a couple more games, with a back-to-back against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday and the Phoenix Suns on Monday.