Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Notches double-double in series finale
Rotowire
Gilgeous-Alexander totaled 24 points (8-21 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 7-13 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks over 40 minutes during Monday's 97-89 win over the Pelicans in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Gilgeous-Alexander struggled with his shooting touch in this one, but he crashed the boards for a series-high 10 rebounds, marking his first double-double of the 2024 postseason. The Kentucky product appeared to tweak his ankle during Monday's matchup, but he was able to work through the issue on the Thunder bench and eventually returned to lead his team to a series-clinching victory. "Just tweaked it," said head coach Mark Daigneault on Gilgeous-Alexander's ankle injury. "Obviously good enough to go back into the game. He'll need treatment. These next couple days will really help him. Obviously didn't impact his availability in tonight's game, nor should it moving forward."
... See More... See Less
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Goes for 33 points in Game 2 win
Rotowire
Gilgeous-Alexander had 33 points (13-19 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three rebounds, five assists and two steals across 35 minutes during Wednesday's 124-92 victory over the Pelicans in Game 2 of the Western Conference first round.
The Thunder secured a statement win in Game 2 of the series, and Gilgeous-Alexander was dominant en route to his first 30-point effort since April 9, when he exploded for 40 points in a win over the Kings. Gilgeous-Alexander should lead the Thunder in Game 3 on Saturday, and he's having an excellent series so far, shooting 55.8 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from deep in the first two games against New Orleans.
... See More... See Less
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Carries OKC to victory in Game 1
Rotowire
Gilgeous-Alexander closed with 28 points (11-24 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 6-7 FT), six rebounds and four assists across 39 minutes during Sunday's 94-92 victory over New Orleans in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Gilgeous-Alexander looked a bit off at times and wasn't as dominant as he's been in previous games, but the star floor general came through when the team needed him the most. An off-balance shot in the dying stages of the fourth quarter would be the game-winner for a Thunder team that had to work harder than expected to get past New Orleans. Gilgeous-Alexander was massive during the regular season and was named a finalist for the MVP Award on Sunday, so he's expected to continue leading the way for the Thunder in this series. Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday at Paycom Center.
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Drops game-high 26 in win
Rotowire
Gilgeous-Alexander closed Wednesday's 127-89 win over San Antonio with 26 points (10-18 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 5-5 FT), six rebounds and five assists over 26 minutes.
The 25-year-old guard led all scorers on the night as OKC cruised to an easy win over a shorthanded Spurs squad. Gilgeous-Alexander has looked like his usual self in two games since returning from a quadricep strain, and with the Thunder still trying to topple the Nuggets and claim the top seed in the Western Conference, expect him to see heavy usage over the final two games of the regular season.
... See More... See Less
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Scores 40 points in return
Rotowire
Gilgeous-Alexander (quadricep) ended with 40 points (11-21 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 16-20 FT), seven rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals over 38 minutes in Tuesday's 112-105 win over the Kings.
Gilgeous-Alexander missed the past four games due to a right quad contusion, but he returned in style to lead the Thunder to their 54th win of the campaign. Gilgeous-Alexander now has six games this season with at least 40 points.
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Full go against Sacramento
Rotowire
Gilgeous-Alexander won't face any restrictions during Tuesday's game versus the Kings, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.
Gilgeous-Alexander is set to return to action Tuesday after missing the Thunder's last four games with a quadriceps injury. The star guard won't be operating under a minutes restriction and should be able to play around his season average of 34.4 minutes per contest.
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Not listed on injury report
Rotowire
Gilgeous-Alexander (quadriceps) isn't listed on the injury report for Tuesday's game against the Kings.
Gilgeous-Alexander has missed four straight and six of the last seven games due to a quadriceps injury, but he'll return to action Tuesday. In March (13 games), the superstar point guard averaged 26.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks in 34.2 minutes per game. The Thunder are battling for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, so it'd be surprising if they put significant restrictions on Gilgeous-Alexander over the final week of the regular season.
... See More... See Less
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Out for next two games
Rotowire
Head coach Mark Daigneault said that Gilgeous-Alexander (quadricep) returned to Oklahoma City on Thursday and will miss the final two games of the Thunder's road trip Friday in Indiana and Sunday in Charlotte, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman reports.
Daigneault said the team is worried the superstar point guard will lose his conditioning on the road, as the Thunder have less access to gyms while traveling. The Thunder will return to Oklahoma City ahead of Tuesday's game versus the Kings, but Gilgeous-Alexander's status for that game remains to be determined. Josh Giddey should see more time in an on-ball role and Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe should continue to receive increased playing time for at least the next two games until Gilgeous-Alexander is cleared for a full workload.
