Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Stats Tonight: How did Thunder superstar perform against Pistons? (April 2)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the favorites to win the NBA MVP this season alongside Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. The OKC Thunder have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, but they can't let up and be unprepared for the playoffs.
"SGA" is averaging 32.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. He's leading the league in scoring and looked to drop another big stat line on Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons at Paycom Center.
So how did the Thunder superstar perform versus the Cade Cunningham-less Pistons? "SGA" finished with 33 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. He committed just one turnover but struggled from the field after going 10-for-26. He went to the charity stripe 12 times, making 11 of them.
Here are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's stats for the game:
How did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander perform against the Pistons?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander started the game on fire, scoring 15 of his 33 points. He was nearly perfect, going 5-for-6 from the field and the free-throw line. The OKC Thunder also built a double-digit lead early, making it look like they were ready to blow the Detroit Pistons up.
However, "SGA" went cold in the second quarter, scoring just two points as the Pistons were able to close the gap at halftime. He had a big third period, putting up 12 points to give the Thunder another big advantage.
But just like in the first half, the MVP favorite lost his touch the following quarter as the Pistons cut the lead to just four points with less than four minutes left. The hosts took things more seriously, shutting down Detroit in the final 3:55 by going on a 12-0 run to earn the 119-103 win.
It wasn't a pretty shooting night for "SGA", who probably wanted to have a big game after Nikola Jokic's career night on Tuesday. "The Joker" dropped 61 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the Denver Nuggets' loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in double overtime.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's postgame interview
Speaking after the OKC Thunder's win, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander praised the team's defense down the stretch. "SGA" doesn't care about his production as long as the team got the victory.
"We played well, we didn't play great," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "We fought through it. The game was full of ups and downs. ... We stuck through it, we weathered the storm. It's all about winning like I always say."
The Thunder have six games left on their schedule, including two against the LA Lakers. They also face the Houston Rockets in their next game, which might have a playoff atmosphere. Their final two games are against the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans, so the starters will likely receive a well-deserved rest.