Thunder Beat Nuggets In West Showdown As SGA Dominates With 34 Points And 13 Assists

The NBA’s top teams delivered decisive results on 2 February 2026, as the Oklahoma City Thunder controlled Denver, the Detroit Pistons produced a record win over Brooklyn, and the New York Knicks extended a hot streak against the Los Angeles Lakers in another strong display.

Oklahoma City stayed clear at the top of the Western Conference after a 121-111 victory against the Denver Nuggets, while Detroit strengthened first place in the East with a 130-77 blowout. New York added a sixth straight win, beating the Lakers 112-100 at Madison Square Garden.

The Thunder never trailed against Denver, securing a wire-to-wire success in the first meeting since last season’s Game 7 West semi-final, which Oklahoma City also won. The result moved the defending

NBA champions to 39-11 and handed them a sixth win over the Nuggets in the past eight regular-season clashes.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander steered Oklahoma City’s offence with 34 points and a season-best 13 assists, while also collecting six rebounds in another all-round display by the reigning league and NBA Finals MVP. Rookie Cason Wallace added major support, setting career highs with 27 points and seven made three-pointers for the Western leaders.

Denver dropped to 33-17 and slipped into third in the West standings, six games behind Oklahoma City, after San Antonio moved to 33-16 with a 112-103 win over the Orlando Magic. Peyton Watson led Denver with 29 points, and Nikola Jokic supplied 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in 29 minutes.

The appearance marked Jokic’s second game since returning from a hyperextended left knee that ruled the three-time NBA MVP out of 16 consecutive contests. Despite Jokic’s efficient minutes and Watson’s scoring, Denver could not reduce the gap enough as Oklahoma City maintained control throughout the night.

Wire-to-wire W pic.twitter.com/LOBwgPFQKeOKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 2, 2026

In the East, Detroit produced the night’s largest margin when the Pistons overwhelmed the Brooklyn Nets 130-77. The 53-point gap set a new franchise record, edging their previous best of 52 points from a 118-66 win over the Boston Celtics on 31 January 2003.

Jalen Duren, named an All-Star reserve on 1 February, led Detroit with 21 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals in just 24 minutes. Cade Cunningham, selected as an All-Star starter, added 18 points, 12 assists, four steals and three blocks in 26 minutes as the Pistons improved to 36-12.

Brooklyn’s struggles deepened with the defeat, dropping the Nets to 13-35. The team has now lost 16 of the last 19 games, with six of those defeats by at least 20 points. The setback followed a 54-point loss to the New York Knicks on 21 January, the second-heaviest defeat in franchise history.

A Detroit Dub in historic fashion. pic.twitter.com/BUV2zxBtbwDetroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) February 2, 2026

NBA Oklahoma City Thunder Detroit Pistons New York Knicks extend winning momentum

The Knicks continued their surge with a sixth consecutive win, matching their longest streak of the season after a similar run from 3-18 December. During this latest stretch, New York has outscored opponents by an average of 23.7 points, underlining the team’s current level.

OG Anunoby paced New York with 25 points and eight rebounds in the 112-100 victory over the Lakers, while Landry Shamet provided 23 points off the bench and hit six three-pointers. Josh Hart scored 20 points, and Jalen Brunson set a season high with 13 assists as the Knicks moved to 31-18.

The Lakers, now 29-19, saw All-Star starter Luka Doncic fall just short of another triple-double, finishing with 30 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. LeBron James, recently confirmed as an All-Star reserve for a record 22nd straight selection, added 22 points, six assists and five rebounds in the defeat.

GO OG GO pic.twitter.com/Nk2tbzlLByNEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) February 2, 2026

Across the league, Oklahoma City’s steady grip on the West, Detroit’s historic winning margin and New York’s ongoing streak underlined strong form for three conference leaders, while Denver, Brooklyn and the Lakers faced fresh questions after clear defeats against in-form contenders.