It had to happen sooner or later. At times it seemed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might be able to notch 20 points even in games in which he didn’t suit up, but the Canadian’s historic milestone ultimately occurred in the matchup against Denver. After 141 regular-season games, the two-time MVP couldn’t reach twenty. Almost two years later, the longest streak in history came to a close.
It was a fitting ending, arriving in a convincing Thunder victory, 96-84, over a direct rival, one to which Shai contributed far more than points. The stifling defense from players like Christian Braun kept him to 17 points on 6-for-19 shooting, but his outstanding defensive work, his ability to draw the defense’s attention, and his talent for creating for teammates more than made up for the baskets that didn’t fall. So much so that, with a +21 in his 34 minutes, he posted the night’s best plus-minus.
A Personal Decision
SGA moved from muted to productive as the game wore on, and while initially it seemed he would fall well short of twenty (toward the end of the third quarter he had only 4 points), his shooting touch gradually warmed, and the outlook began to shift. The attempts were falling, his teammates sought him out, and it looked as if the streak might miraculously stay alive. But then, with 93-76 on the scoreboard and fewer than two minutes left to play, Denver called a timeout to pull their starters off the floor.
That was when Shai decided it wasn’t worth preserving the record at any price. “I was going to come out, but when I saw that the Nuggets had changed the quintet I figured we should do the same,” he said. “You have to play with respect.”
Daigneault, who would have kept his star on the floor if asked, also praised the guard’s gesture: “I think saying that the situation requires me to sub him out is a display of class on his part. It was him who asked to be substituted. And of all the things I admire about him, this stands very high on the list of moments I’ll cherish.”
As is always the case when discussing this streak, it’s worth noting that it refers exclusively to regular-season games, as Shai has indeed dipped below 20 on several occasions in the playoffs. It happened three times in 2025 and three more in 2026, but for the purposes of this record the last game in which he didn’t reach the figure dates back to October 30, 2024, when he totaled just 18 against San Antonio.
