The Oklahoma City Thunder came away with a 129-126 win over the Denver Nuggets after a nail-biting sequence to close out the game. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rising to the occasion in the final moments, the Thunder superstar reminded the league of his status as the reigning MVP.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came up with a clutch three-pointer in response to Nikola Jokic‘s epic four-point play to secure the victory for the Thunder. When recalling the play, however, Gilgeous-Alexander revealed that he didn’t have a plan of action going into the possession.
“I had no clue what I was going to do,” Gilgeous-Alexander revealed. “I have answers to the test, but I’ve got to see the questions first.”
“Once I saw that he was on my left and I was going right. I think it was Christian Braun who was in the gap. I knew that if I drove to shoot a middy, they’d contest it with two guys. So I tried to separate from the three and get a good, comfortable shot, and it went down.”
Although Nuggets head coach David Adelman admitted that the game-winning shot wasn’t the only reason for the Nuggets’ loss, it is impossible to overlook how impressive it was. Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic noted the Thunder superstar’s performance after the game, stating:
“He’s an amazing player. He made some big shots, what he’s been doing the whole season… I don’t know. Someone’s going to say it’s a tough shot, but he’s making those.”
This is high praise considering it is coming from a perennial MVP candidate. With the outcome of the game tipping the scales in Gilgeous-Alexander’s favor, the Thunder superstar remains the favorite to win the prestigious award.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Ranks This Game Among His Best
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s game-winner topped off an already scintillating performance by the Thunder superstar. Considering that he also tied Wilt Chamberlain’s record for most consecutive games scoring 20+ points (126), it can safely be said that it was also a momentous occasion for the reigning MVP.
In light of his performance for the game, the Thunder superstar was asked about how he’d rate Monday night’s performance. Gilgeous-Alexander responded:
“I don’t know. It’s up there for sure. Regular-season-wise, it’s up there for sure. It was super fun tonight. We’re down early, had to fight back, a lot of back-and-forth… It was just a really good, competitive basketball game.”
Monday night’s game has good reason to be ranked among one of the superstar’s personal favorite performances. Having logged 35 points, nine rebounds, and 15 assists while shooting 14-21 from the field (3-7 3PT), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was nothing short of masterful.
With this win, OKC reasserts its dominance in the Western Conference. With a 9-1 record in their last 10 games, including a six-game winning streak, the Thunder appear to have regained control.
