Nikola Jokic scores 28 points on 12-for-16 shooting to lead the matinee rout.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The defending champion Denver Nuggets blew into Oklahoma City with the most recent cold front and ice-blasted the upstart Thunder from the ranks of the undefeated teams.

Nikola Jokic sizzled in logging career double-double No. 379, scoring a game-high 28 points Sunday to pace a 128-95 drubbing over the frigid-shooting Thunder. OKC connected on 41.1% from the field.

Here are five takeaways from the matchup.

1. No let-up for the defending champions

The hot-shooting Nuggets knocked down 60.2% from the field, eclipsing 60% for an NBA-best 17th time since the start of the 2017-18 season.

But even as Denver led by as many as 35 points, Nuggets coach Michael Malone implored his team to pour it on the defeated Thunder. There’s a method behind the madness.

“Winning a championship, the one thing you worry about is (thinking) we can just show up this year and we’re gonna win,” Malone explained. “That’s not the case. What we did last year, even magical in nature, has nothing to do with this season. It’s very early, but after three games our guys are playing with the requisite mindset.”

Through the first three games of this young season, the Nuggets have trailed a grand total of 4 minutes and 17 seconds.

Jokic had everything going early, scoring 21 points in the 1H on way to 28 points for the game!

His high efficiency (12/16 FGM) shooting helped the @nuggets move to 3-0 on the season! pic.twitter.com/hHEXoiBTTt

— NBA (@NBA) October 29, 2023

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30-point streak snapped

The herky-jerky guard gave opponents a pair of 30 pieces in Oklahoma City’s first two games. In this one, you wondered whether the sixth-year vet would ever sink a shot.

As cold as the 36-degree temps engulfing the city outside, Gilgeous-Alexander misfired on his first eight attempts and finished 2-for-16 from the field with just seven points.

Still, he kept plugging away, eventually embracing the role of setup man.

Despite the misses, Gilgeous-Alexander dished three dimes in the first frame, including a lob to Chet Holmgren. The 25-year-old finished with seven assists.

Gilgeous-Alexander entered the game shooting 61.4% overall and 57.1% on 3-pointers, averaging 32.5 points per game in his first two outings.

This performance snapped a streak of 37 straight games with 20-plus points for Gilgeous-Alexander. He’d also produced 10 points or more in 75 consecutive games.

That’s over now.

Denver’s suffocating defense deserves some of the credit, too. Specifically, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

“We asked him to guard the best players 82 regular-season games and 20 playoff games last year,” Malone said. “He understands that’s his greatest gift to this basketball team.”

3. No block party for Chet Holmgren

Holmgren failed to produce an encore performance Sunday of his seven-block showing two days prior in a road win vs. Cleveland. The performance set a Thunder rookie record for the most blocks in a game.

Holmgren swatted away five shot attempts in the first half alone, which registered as the most blocks in a half since 2020 (Nerlens Noel).

Facing two-time Kia MVP and reigning NBA Finals MVP Jokic proved a more daunting endeavor for the 21-year-old rookie. But he didn’t shy away from the challenge. Holmgren defended nearly every Jokic shot he was in position to.

But the latter’s high release point made success virtually impossible. Holmgren finished without a block in his 25.3 minutes on the floor. Offensively, the rookie logged a respectable 19 points and four boards on 7-for-12 shooting.

Holmgren inflicted most of his damage offensively in the first half with 17 points. Ultimately, the matchup against Denver proved to be a welcome-to-the-NBA moment for the rookie.

4. Nikola Jokic’s strong play sullied by turnovers

Jokic committed nine turnovers Friday at Memphis and cut that number by more than half against Oklahoma City with four, which is still too high by his standards.

But like Holmgren, Jokic did most of his damage against the Thunder in the first half with 22 points. The 28-year-old has now posted 92 games with a 25/10/5 line since his first MVP season (2020-21), which ranks as the most in the NBA over that span.

The veteran is averaging 26.3 points, 13 rebounds and 7.7 assists through three games so far, keeping the Nuggets undefeated.

Denver outrebounded the Thunder 48-29 and outscored the home team in the paint 72-58.

5. Nuggets’ bench is rolling

The offseason losses of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green left questions about Denver’s depth coming into the season. Yet the Nuggets never expressed concern. For good reason, too.

Denver’s bench unit, led by Reggie Jackson, Peyton Watson, Christian Braun and Zeke Nnaji, contributed 16 of the club’s 69 first-half points as the Nuggets seized an 18-point lead at intermission. The group combined for 45 points total.

“Got some great contributions off the bench,” Malone said.

Coming into this contest, the Nuggets’ reserves had racked up 59 points over the club’s first two outings, including a 37-point effort Friday on the road at Memphis.

Jackson, 33, played sparingly last season throughout the Nuggets’ playoff run, tallying 14 DNPs in 20 contests. But so far, he’s played 20-plus minutes in every game. Jackson’s vast experience serves as somewhat of a calming influence.

He can flat out play, too.

Second-year man Braun, meanwhile, has picked up where he left off from last season, contributing solid defense and timely playmaking.

Watson, 21, played 23 games last season with just two starts, averaging 8.1 minutes. The high-flyer seems to be adjusting well to a more prominent role.

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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

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