Thunder’s Awful Night Still Remains a Blessing for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander After Kevin Durant News

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just rewrote the history books with a whopping 48th game this season where he exploded for 30+ points. He KO’d Kevin Durant’s record of 47 games! This 25-year-old guard has been a scoring machine all season, averaging a staggering 31.2 points. He also has 5.6 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and a league-leading 2.1 steals per game with an 88% free throw shooting percentage.

In the post-game conference, when asked how it feels to have his name up there with the greats, Shai replied, “It’s cool. It’s an honor. Obviously Kev has done some amazing things here in his career and to be in those type of conversations is an honor, a blessing.“

During tonight’s against the Pacers, Gilgeous-Alexander came alive in the second half. Despite a slow start, he exploded after the break, raking up 23 points by the time he re-entered the court with under 8 minutes remaining. In the last quarter, he raced down the court and converted a layup to reach the coveted 30-point mark.

However, despite SGA’s scoring clinic, the Thunder fell short against the Pacers tonight. Losing the game 121-111, the Thunder still kept hold of the top seed in the West, but are now tied for the same games as the Denver Nuggets, and only half a game ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Young Thunders (Shai & Chet) Making History

Remember the scrappy Thunder from a few seasons back? Well, they’ve had a phenomenal makeover because they’ve transformed into a Western Conference monster! Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the dynamic duo leading the charge, with OKC currently chilling at the top of the standings (45-20).

Interestingly, the Oklahoma City Thunder is not only the league’s top three-point shooting percentage (a staggering 39.4%) but also an insane defense ranked among the best (with a rating of 111.3). Rookie Chet Holmgren leads that, while the team possesses a deep well of defenders like Lu Dort and Cason Wallace, making them a force on both ends of the court.

While SGA is a front-runner for the MVP award with his stellar performances, Holmgren has established himself as a top rookie and is in heavy contention for the coveted Rookie of the Year award. Following their impressive regular season stats, the narrative surrounding the Thunder has shifted.

With the Thunder leading the Western Conference, this young team is a force to be reckoned with! Tonight’s home-court loss to the Pacers was a shocker. Their next challenge comes against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, marking the final game of their home stand. Will the young Thunder stay on top of the West? Share your thoughts below!

Read More: Jayson Tatum Favored Over Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as NBA Veteran Drops MVP Favorite