"He's too humble to say it": Chet Holmgren makes last ditch effort for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP case
Chet Holmgren made a last-ditch effort to lobby for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win his maiden NBA MVP award. The OKC Thunder outplayed the New Orleans Pelicans 124-92 on Wednesday, and it was another SGA clinic as the guard led with a game-high 33 points, three rebounds, and five assists.
The Canadian star has been a 30-point metronome for the majority of the regular season to help OKC finish first. After their second consecutive win against the Pelicans in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, Holmgren used the postgame interview as an opportunity to remind Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP case.
Speaking to TNT Sports' reporter Allie LaForce, Holmgren, who was asked about the game, also added why SGA deserved MVP. He took the microphone from the journalist, saying:
"I got one more thing to say. He's too humble to say it, but this is the MVP right here, the MVP of the league. I'mma say it for him because he won't say it. That's all I got."
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been one of the top five contenders for the award, including Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks), Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks).
With the Thunder finishing first, the guard made his case stronger after reports of Jokic was well on his way to winning his third MVP did the rounds.
On the game front, he was ably assisted by Holmgrem's 26 points and seven rebounds. Jalen Williams had 21 points, while Josh Giddey and Lugentz Dort had 13 and 15 points, respectively.
The action now shifts to the Smoothie King Center as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the young OKC unit head to New Orleans for Games 3 and 4.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads OKC Thunder to clinical win over Zion Williamson-less New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans were missing a major two-way player in Zion Williamson, and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander made full use of the absence as he glided past the NOLA defense. He shot 13-19 from the field and 3-5 from the deep as OKC recorded their second win in a row.
Earlier this week, Gilgeous-Alexander was named as the MVP finalist alongside Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić.
While he looked like the MVP during Wednesday's performance, the Nuggets big man appears to lead the pack and even finished the season as the No. 1 in NBA.com's MVP ladder.
Another MVP this season would give him three of them in the last four years, underscoring his current status as the best player in modern times.