Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having a season that could end with his OKC Thunder potentially winning 70 games and him hoisting his first-career MVP trophy. Tonight’s 134-114 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers will be remembered by voters for the rest of the year, as OKC tied the Cavs for the best record in the NBA behind a 40-point night from Shai.
After the game, Gilgeous-Alexander took a shot at haters who claim he needs free throws to be effective.
“Yeah, I don’t need free throws. When they come, it’s a plus. But I don’t need them. I get it however I take it.”
Shai put up 40 points (17-26 FG, 5-5 FT) and eight assists in the win, dominating the action and ensuring the Cavaliers were pummeled out of the game early on. It was a shot-making masterclass by Alexander as well, with the guard seemingly picking his spots and being effective as a three-level scorer.
He’s averaging 31.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.0 assists this season, inarguably being the MVP frontrunner right now. While Nikola Jokic is being heralded as a mainline contender, the award looks like it is Shai’s to lose. The Thunder are on a 70-win pace right now with Shai on the verge of also being the scoring leader.
The 26-year-old receives a lot of fan hate for being a ‘free-throw merchant,’ leading the NBA in free throw makes last season (7.6 FTM). He’s No. 2 for attempts (8.0 FTA) this season and No. 1 for makes (7.2 FTM), so fans have reasons to criticize his play style. However, it doesn’t change the fact that Shai is also arguably one of the best mid-range scorers in the league right now.
Defeating a team like the Cavs as comprehensively as OKC did tonight shouldn’t be overlooked. The fact that the team has been without Chet Holmgren for the last few months is even more incredible, as the center will make the team even harder to beat upon his return.
This might be the perfect year for OKC with their win-now roster, the future assets that can help them get better, and the fact that they have one of the best players in the NBA on their roster.
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