Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is dominating the headlines during the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, but not for the reasons he’d have hoped. Gilgeous-Alexander has come under fire for flopping and foul-baiting, and ESPN’s Jay Williams has emerged as one of his most vocal critics.
Williams had gone on quite the wild rant about the Thunder on Get Up before Game 3 against the Spurs, and he introduced a new segment titled “Life Alert with SGA” on the show on Friday.
“First off, I’d say SGA is one of the most special players we have in the game of basketball,” Williams said. “He is elite when he plays up and down. There’s a reason why he’s two-time MVP. But cue this, we’re going to have this segment that’s going to call ‘Life Alert with SGA. Help me, I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up.'”
“Life Alert with SGA” 🤔@RealJayWilliams breaks down how San Antonio forced a Game 7 against the Thunder 👀 pic.twitter.com/RYnMQVg49W
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 29, 2026
Williams showed clips from the Thunder’s 118-91 loss in Game 6 on Thursday, where Gilgeous-Alexander just fell to the floor when he felt there was no need to. After Game 2, it had been revealed that the Canadian had fallen to the floor at a much higher rate than anyone else in these playoffs.
Williams pointed out it’s not just Gilgeous-Alexander who’s falling, but his Thunder teammates as well. He showed Lu Dort doing so while attempting to get by a screen.
“This is not only SGA, their whole team does this,” Williams said. “This is why I said every possession feels like a negotiation with the refs.”
It sure does seem like a negotiation. It’s making what should have been the best playoff series we have had in years less enjoyable to watch.
Williams also commended the Spurs players, like Stephon Castle, for absorbing contact and playing through it. He believes Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t doing so because of how well he is being defended.
“These young bucks are playing through contact,” Williams said. “They’re not falling each and every possession. SGA, ’cause he’s not scoring because he’s getting strapped up defensively, his way of scoring is at the free-throw line. He’s looking for the contact instead of looking for the shot. That’s the difference between the way the two teams are playing.”
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 24.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game against the Spurs while shooting just 37.9% from the field and 26.1% from beyond the arc. The four-time All-Star has made 44 field goals in this series and 52 free throws.
Gilgeous-Alexander is at 120 FGM in these playoffs and 123 FTM. The 27-year-old is doing a lot of damage from the charity stripe.
You struggle to think of the last time a reigning two-time MVP was getting called out in this manner by the media. Previously, Max Kellerman claimed Gilgeous-Alexander flops on every play. It is what Williams was complaining about before Game 3 as well.
“When you watch OKC play, every single call, every single time they shoot, SGA is landing in somebody’s region, he’s falling down,” Williams said, via NBA Courtside. “And you’re just like, ‘How do I root for that? I see why I can root for [Victor Wembanyama]. I can’t root for that.’…As a fan of the game, I just want to see the game respected. And there are times when I watch OKC play, I don’t feel like they respect the process of the game. It’s too much foul-baiting.”
It’s safe to say that the majority of the neutrals are rooting for the Spurs in the series. The Thunder have gone from somewhat of a feel-good story in 2024 to the biggest villains in 2026.
Game 7 will tip off at Paycom Center on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.
