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“Not Happy With 2 in the West”: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Eagerly Awaits the End of All-Star Break

Published 02/19/2024, 10:47 PM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

Five years after Paul George (2019), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the first Oklahoma City Thunder player to start in the All-Star game. Repping Team West colors, Shai came out guns blazing, aiming to take the trophy home. But Team West fell short, and Shai was eager to hit the road.

The 25-year-old Thunder guard shared photos with his wife Hailey Summers, capturing their apparent exit from the Indy arena. He poetically captioned the photos as, “Back 2 work, i don’t need 2 much rest, until 2 is the best, i’m not happy with 2 in the west, 2.”

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True to form, SGA racked up 31 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists – a classic SGA stat line. Out of 12 triples he attempted, nothing but net for 7! On Sunday, his signature crossovers were enough to keep pace. Despite his individual brilliance, his team lost and Team East emerged victorious with a jaw-dropping score of 211, leaving Team West at 186. No wonder Shai wasn’t thrilled with being placed at the number 2 position and wanted to get out of there.

Number One in Sight?

Even though finishing second might sting, Shai has smoked a lot of opponents to get to this stage. For instance, with his 6’11” wingspan leading the charge, the Thunder have experienced a meteoric rise, and are currently sitting pretty at no.2 in the Western Conference just behind the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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Hold on, there’s more! With Joel Embiid sidelined by left tear meniscus surgery, his MVP dreams went on hold. And who’s currently sitting right behind Nikola Jokić at the top of the race? You guessed it, SGA, at number 2!

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Interestingly, the Thunder not only sit above the Denver Nuggets in the standings but have also conquered the defending champions in three out of their four showdowns this season. While their two-time MVP big man Jokic boasts an impressive average of  26.1 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 8.9 assists while shooting 57.7 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from behind the arc per game, SGA stands out with his staggering 31.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, shooting consistently from both the field and beyond the arc.

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If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander maintains his phenomenal form, the coveted number-one spot might just be within his reach at the end of this thrilling season. Comment your thoughts below!

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Written by:

Aakritee Raajj

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One take at a time

A lawyer turned NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, Aakritee Raajj found herself in the right realm as soon as she dropped her black coat to don the Mavericks’ jersey in the NBA department. That’s how the content strategy desk trusts her with any coverage demanding a legal knowhow. She became a fan of the league in the late 2000’s after Dirk Nowitzki upset the Miami Heat in Game 6 during 2011 NBA Finals.
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Edited by:

Sameen Nawathe