Peyton Watson Had High Praise for Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The short-handed Denver Nuggets came up short from getting a win over the West's top-seeded OKC Thunder, 111-121, in their weekend matchup for the first meeting between the two sides of this season.

As with any matchup against the Thunder, it was bound to be a tough task to come out on top to stump the reigning champions, and especially so with Denver's beaten-down lineup without three of their regular starters in the mix.

Without that firepower in the lineup, it led to Peyton Watson stepping up for another big performance as he's done for as long as Denver's been ravaged with injuries, leading the Nuggets with 29 points, five rebounds, and three assists, all while remaining a vital piece on the defensive end.

PEYTON WATSON MY GOODNESS 😳

One-handed poster slam with authority!

Tap to watch: https://t.co/4fb2NGXot6 pic.twitter.com/W3bOQp0W47
— NBA (@NBA) February 2, 2026

But that defensive prowess for Watson can only take the Nuggets so far against a star-studded group like Oklahoma City–– a collective that Denver's fourth-year standout made sure to give his due praise to after the contest.

"Just their team chemistry. They’re a really, really good team," Watson said of what makes the Thunder such a tough matchup. "They’ve found ways to win a lot of games, regardless of what the game looks like. They bring intensity every night. I think they genuinely go out with a mindset to win every regular season game."

"I think with that mindset and the togetherness they have as a team, it makes them a difficult opponent."

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Was Tough Cover for Nuggets

For this meeting in particular, it turned out to be one in which the reigning league and Finals MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, had a typical superstar performance: 34 points, five rebounds, and 13 assists, further adding another dominant performance to his case of earning another MVP trophy at the end of the season.

Feb 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) passes the ball to guard Aaron Wiggins (21) under pressure from Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson (8) and guard Jamal Murray (27) in the third quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Watson, who was matched up with Gilgeous-Alexander frequently throughout the night, recognizes just how impressive and calculated of a scorer and offensive threat the Thunder guard is when things are clicking on all cylinders.

When asked about the assignment postgame, he didn't want to give away many secrets about how exactly he's trying to defend him, but made it clear that no matter what, he won't be an easy cover for even the most talented defenders in the league––such as himself.

"I don’t want to give too much away because we’re going to have to play them in the playoffs, but he’s a super complete player," Watson said of Gilgeous-Alexander. "He passed the ball amazing tonight and that got some other guys going like Cason Wallace. He was able to really impact the game with his scoring."

"He’s a tough cover all-around. I’m constantly aware that he’s looking for contact, looking to be physical on the offensive end and bait me into tough positions to get me to foul him and things like that. So, a lot of my worry with him is just keeping him off the free-throw line and also not picking up too many quick fouls. He’s a super tough cover. He makes shots, he can handle it, he passes. He does everything."

The Nuggets thankfully have three more regular season matchups against the Thunder for later this season to give Watson and the rest of Denver's roster some time to get back to the drawing board, as well as having a bit more time on to recover from their lingering injury woes.

But regardless of who's on the floor for the Nuggets, the challenge the Thunder present certainly won't be an easy one so long as their top guys are healthy and on the floor. Time will tell if next time around ends up further in their favor, but for round one of this year's meetings, OKC was the one to take care of business.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Was Tough Cover for Nuggets

More Denver Nuggets Content