Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just added another accolade to a season that is shaping to be one for the Oklahoma City Thunder to lose.
After winning his first regular-season MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander added the Western Conference Finals MVP award to his rapidly growing trophy case.
The Canadian guard scored a game-high 34 points in Game 5 as the Thunder advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012 with a dominant 124-94 rout of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday in front of a delirious sold-out Paycom Center crowd.
“I just want to shout out these fans,” the Thunder star told ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters after receiving the award. “They’ve been here — a couple of years I got here, and there’s some really dark times in this arena, not fun times — and these fans have been by our side through thick and thin, so we appreciate them, first and foremost.”
Thunder Build From Ground Up
It was a long winding road for the Thunder, who acquired Gilgeous-Alexander and a slew picks from the Los Angeles Clippers for Paul George in 2019 that reset their timeline.
One of those picks acquired from the Clippers they used to draft Jalen Williams and their years of tanking led to the selections of Chet Holmgren, who is blossoming to be their third star. One of their former lottery selections Josh Giddey they flipped into Alex Caruso, who anchored their magnificent defense in this postseason run that is now four wins away from the franchise’s first-ever NBA championship.
Holmgren added 22 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Williams had 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Caruso came off the bench with four of the Thunder’s 14 steals. The veteran wing added eight points and three assists.
The Thunder are the first team in NBA history to win four games by at least 30 points in the same postseason.
They will be the heavy favorites in the NBA Finals, facing the winner of the Indiana Pacers–New York Knicks Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers currently lead the series, 3-1, looking to close out the Knicks on Thursday.
Selfless, Laser-Focused Leader
Gilgeous-Alexander is the biggest reason for the Thunder’s rise to become one of the most dominant teams in league history. He shot 14-of-25 from the field in the clincher to cap a lopsided series.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.6 points, 7.4 assists and 4.4 rebounds in the five games against the Timberwolves.
As a selfless leader as he is, Gilgeous-Alexander did not grab all the credit.
“And then, of course, I want to thank my teammates,” he told Salters. “Without them, I’m nothing clear as day, I don’t have 124 points by myself. I love these guys to death.”
Holding back his tears, Gilgeous-Alexander knew their job is not yet finished and it isn’t time to celebrate yet.
“Now, with all that being said, this is a step in the right direction, but we have a lot more work to do, and we know that, and that’s what we’re focused on,” he added. “So let’s buckle up and get ready.”
Only 26 and entering his prime years, Gilgeous-Alexander has the NBA in his palm. But he isn’t satisfied with just all the personal accolades. His eyes are locked in on the ultimate prize.
“I got a lot of growing to do,” Gilgeous-Alexander said when asked about his upcoming first NBA Finals appearance. “We’ve got a lot of work to do to get to our ultimate goal, and this is not it. So that’s all, that’s all that I’m focused on.”
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