Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Drops 36 points in return

Gilgeous-Alexander (abdomen) notched 36 points (12-29 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 12-13 FT), nine assists, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks across 34 minutes in Friday's 127-121 overtime win over the Nuggets.

Although Gilgeous-Alexander did not operate under a specific minutes restriction in his return from a nine-game absence due to an abdominal strain, the Thunder monitored his playing time closely, as he sat out the entire overtime period. Still, the reigning MVP poured in a team-high 36 points in his return. He also led the Thunder in assists and contributed on the defensive end, recording multiple steals and multiple blocks for the fourth time across 50 regular-season appearances. The Thunder begin a three-game road trip Sunday in Dallas and face a back-to-back set Tuesday against Chicago and Wednesday versus New York, so it'll be interesting to see if the superstar plays a full workload in both contests.