Last week, the Oklahoma City Thunder seemed like a young team finding their first win in their first playoff game. Cut to Wednesday night; they played like a true champion.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge with an impressive 33 points. The Thunder, the top contenders for the playoffs, dominated the New Orleans Pelicans with a score of 124-92, now leading their first-round playoff series 2-0 in the Western Conference.
When asked about their mindset, Gilgeous-Alexander credited the team’s focus on winning above all else. He mentioned they didn’t let distractions like other good teams struggling at home affect them. Instead, they focused on their goal of winning each game, making daily efforts to achieve that.
SGA put on a SHOW as the @okcthunder get the W and jump out to a 2-0 series lead!
— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2024
⛈️ 33 PTS (playoff career high)
⛈️ 13-19 FGM
⛈️ 5 AST#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/cN28I1h21W
“I think it just goes back to us prioritizing winning,” Shai said. “And all those things are distractions that get in the way of winning. And every night, all 15 of us go to bed and want to win the next game, want to win the next day. And we do everything we can to do so.”
In Game 1, Valanciunas grabbed an impressive 20 rebounds, with nine on the offensive end, helping the Pelicans dominate the boards with a 52-44 advantage over the Thunder. In Game 2, Oklahoma City outrebounded New Orleans by 37-35, limiting their offensive rebounds to just eight.
Apart from rebounding, the Thunder scored on the Pelicans’ turnovers, scoring 22 points from their 18 mistakes. Looking ahead, Game 3 is set for Saturday in New Orleans.
Chet Holmgren advocates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after the NBA MVP
Chet Holmgren recently claimed that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should win his first NBA MVP award. After the OKC Thunder defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 124-92, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge, Holmgren simply could not hold back praise.
During Holmgren’s chat with TNT Sports’ reporter Allie LaForce, he passionately supported Shai for his humility and the impact he has had on the team.
“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.”
In the comment section below, let us know what you think of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s performances this season. We would love to hear about it.
