Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drops 50 in 31-point routing of Suns
Yesterday at 01:45 AM
Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued to add to his MVP resume with a stunning performance in the 140-109 win over the Phoenix Suns. The OKC superstar has been neck-and-neck with Nuggets’ center Nikola Jokic for the Michael Jordan Trophy. But Wednesday night’s performance likely gave Shai more wiggle room as the All-Star break approaches.
Head coach Mark Daigneault’s team picked up its 40th win of the season and is in firm control of the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The Thunder are now tied for the best record in the NBA and looking to win the franchise’s first-ever Larry O’Brien Trophy.
To do that, Oklahoma City will need more performances like tonight’s by its franchise player. On the evening, Shai scored 50 points and recorded five assists, eight rebounds, two steals, a block, and just one turnover. This marked the third time in Gilgeous-Alexander’s career that he scored 50 or more points, with the previous two times also taking place in 2025.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is primed to win his first MVP
The Thunder point guard has reached this scoring total three times since January 22. One of the most eye-popping stats from this performance was that Shai only shot the ball 29 times. Wednesday night, therefore, was another symphony of efficiency for OKC’s best player.
Going into this matchup, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged a league-leading 32.5 points per game on 53.3% from the field. It’s staggering for a guard to have that kind of average at that efficiency rate. In addition to this total, Shai has been a phenomenal defender, sitting second in the league in defensive rating.
While the MVP award is for the regular season, it’s no secret that narratives matter. And whatever storylines are heading into this race, they should not hurt Gilgeous-Alexander. As Shai has shown he is just as effective of a player in the postseason as he is in the regular season.
In last year’s playoffs, the Thunder point guard averaged 30.2 points, 6.4 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game. Even when Oklahoma City’s season ended against the Dallas Mavericks, Gilgeous-Alexander consistently outperformed his regular season stat line. Heading into the playoffs, it’s not a secret that Shai will continue his current dominant form.
Overall, OKC’s superstar had another routine MVP performance. At 26 years old, Gilgeous-Alexander shockingly might have even another gear as he hits his prime years. That is a terrifying prospect for this league. The Oklahoma City Thunder have a better chance to win an NBA title than they ever did with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. It’s a great time to be a fan of this franchise!
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