Fresh off Christmas dinner and a full slate of entertaining Christmas Day games, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled into Naptown, ready to snap their two-game losing streak against the Pacers.
Things started sluggishly on offense—something we’ve seen a bit too often lately—as OKC shot a dismal 26 percent from the field and managed just 19 points in the first quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander chipped in six of those.
But then, the Fresh Prince of OKC turned up. Shai, who tied his career-high with 45 points, did most of his damage when the Thunder desperately needed a spark to stay alive for their ninth straight win: the second quarter. SGA dropped a blistering 16 points in the frame, bringing his halftime total to 22 and single-handedly keeping his team in the fight.
Fast-forward to the third quarter, and it wasn’t just Shai putting in work anymore. Inspired by his effort—and probably a vintage Mark Daigneault halftime pep talk—his teammates woke up. The Thunder tallied 23 points outside of SGA’s seven, with Lu Dort adding seven of his own and Jalen Williams pitching in six.
By the fourth quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander kept doing what he always, and I mean always, does: delivering when it matters. Meanwhile, his squad rallied around him, making plays and closing it out.
The Thunder are starting to give off Kansas City Chiefs vibes this season. Not every game is a masterpiece—some are downright ugly—but 80 percent of the time, they’re getting creative and finding ways to win.
