SGA pours in 32/5/4/2/2 line in WCF rematch

In the aftermath of the injuries to Cason Wallace and Jalen Williams, some may have expected Gilgeous-Alexander to shoot until his arm fell off. That didn’t happen, as the reigning MVP got his points while also trusting his teammates. SGA recorded just three assists, but he shot the ball well and notched his second consecutive games of 25 points or more. Oklahoma City plays two more games in Week 2, starting with the Mavericks on Wednesday.

On a night when he saw three teammates leave the game with injuries, Gilgeous-Alexander carried the Thunder in the third quarter. The reigning MVP scored 16 of his 34 points in the period, shooting 7-of-11 from the field. SGA went cold in the fourth, but his teammates provided enough help to keep Oklahoma City undefeated. The Thunder play three games in Week 2, starting with the Suns on Monday.

Gilgeous-Alexander started extremely slowly on Thursday, scoring just two points on 0-of-6 shooting in the first half. The reigning MVP scored 15 points in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to extend his streak of at least 20-point games to 142. Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t have many nights like this, so fantasy managers have no reason to worry. The Thunder host the Clippers on Sunday in their final Week 1 game.

Gilgeous-Alexander was -24 in 26 minutes in the 116-89 loss to the Rockets. Still, he was able to score 17 points on 12 attempts and made all five of his free throws. The reigning two-time NBA MVP typically comes off the board third overall in fantasy drafts this year.

After sitting out Oklahoma City’s preseason opener on Tuesday in Tulsa, Gilgeous-Alexander was in his usual starting point guard role on Wednesday. The two-time MVP looked sharp, missing none of his shots from the field or the foul line. Gilgeous-Alexander’s line included three made three-pointers. SGA averaged 1.7 three-pointers per game last season and made at least three three-pointers in 17 games.

With no Jalen Williams or Ajay Mitchell, Gilgeous-Alexander was once again in a position where he needed to put the Thunder on his back. The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player was outstanding in Game 7, but the Spurs received more contributions across the board, and that was the difference. Gilgeous-Alexander was one of the best players in fantasy basketball this season, regardless of position, and that shouldn’t change anytime soon. Regardless of league format, SGA should go no lower than third overall in fantasy drafts next fall.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s 15 points were his lowest total all season long and his -28 was his worst since last year’s conference finals. He was 6-of-18 and missed all five of his three-point attempts. Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t able to bounce back in the second half as the Thunder lost the third quarter 32-13. He’ll need to bounce back in Game 7 on Saturday if the Thunder are going to repeat as Western Conference Champions.

The MVP rebounded from a subpar Game 4 to log his sixth 30-point game of the postseason. Half of his points came efficiently from the charity stripe, while solid three-point shooting helped him overcome a poor night inside the arc. SGA also struggled with six turnovers but was able to make up for his errors by nearly tallying double-digit assists. He’s had better games statistically, but his Game 5 performance was strong enough to help OKC take a 3-2 series lead.

The absences of Jalen Williams (hamstring) and Ajay Mitchell (calf) left the Thunder light on players capable of making things happen off the bounce in Game 4. That factored into San Antonio’s ability to pressure Gilgeous-Alexander more, but not with double teams as some may assume. The Spurs’ guards assigned to defend the two-time league MVP were more aggressive, forcing Oklahoma City’s “others” to do more offensively. They couldn’t answer the call, resulting in a 103-82 defeat. Game 5 is on Tuesday night, with the series tied at two games apiece.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokić were first-team selections on all 100 ballots, while Wembanyama was selected on 99. Unsurprisingly, they were the three finalists for league MVP, with Gilgeous-Alexander winning the award for a second consecutive season. Dončić and Cunningham, who needed waivers from the league to be eligible for postseason honors, round out the first team.