The Thunder secured the No. 1 seed in the NBA tonight with an emphatic 128-110 win over the Clippers. On a night where they celebrate becoming the best team in the Western Conference for this season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also had a surprising performance.
Usually scrutinized for his ability to go to the free-throw line, he only attempted one free throw tonight. This was the first time in the regular season since December 10, 2021, when Gilgeous-Alexander did not make a single free throw.
Following the game, the reigning MVP spoke to the media and addressed his performance tonight, including his opinion on not making a single free throw tonight.
“You just said it, all the best scorers get to the free-throw line. And I’m after being the best. So whatever it takes to be the best is what I’m going to go out there and try to do. Free throws are a part of the game. If I get fouled, I get fouled. If I don’t get fouled, I try to make the shot. It’s how you play basketball,” said Gilgeous-Alexander.
The MVP frontrunner has often come under the public’s microscope for his ability to draw fouls and get to the free-throw line. Some view it as a bad thing, while some renowned voices like JJ Redick have argued that it is a part of the game that all elite (30+ point) scorers have been exploiting over the years, which has finally now been blown out of proportion due to viral montages of Gilgeous-Alexander going viral on X.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s tone suggests he is unapologetic about incessantly drawing fouls and is proud of the way he plays. Which makes this game without a single made free throw even more shocking.
He ended the game with 20 points, 11 assists, one rebound, one steal, and one assist while going 9-17 from the field (52.9 FG%) and 2-6 from beyond the arc (33.3 3P%). The Canadian guard did just enough to extend his streak of 20-point games to 140 consecutive games and did not play the entirety of the fourth quarter.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trusted his team to carry them over the finish line as Chet Holmgren was having a field day tonight. Holmgren led all scorers and stuffed the statsheet with 30 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, four blocks, and two steals while going 10-13 from the floor (76.9 FG%), 3-4 from beyond the arc (75.0 3P%), and 7-10 from the free-throw line (70.0 FT%).
This proves JJ Redick’s point that a 30-point scorer often needs to rely on free throws to get there, and if you want to average 30 points per game in the NBA, then you need to learn how to draw fouls and get to the line.
The Thunder have now clinched the top seed in the West for three consecutive seasons, two of which were 64+ win seasons. This puts them in an elite list along with the 1990s Bulls and the 2010s Warriors, who are the only teams to have consecutive seasons at the top seed with 64+ wins.
They are now headed to Denver for their final road game of the season against the Nuggets on Friday, April 10. Subsequently, they will head home to close out the regular season against the Suns on Sunday, April 12.
