Shai-led Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander most definitely wanted to redeem himself against the Nuggets yesterday. It wasn’t simply that they lost to the defending champions in the first week of the season. It was that they did so by a whopping 33 points, with his poor play more than causing the blowout; he had only seven points on two-of-six shooting from the field in 28 minutes on the court. Considering his atrocious outing, he rightly marked yesterday’s rematch on the Thunder’s calendar. To argue that he was looking for payback would be an understatement.
Fast forward to the final buzzer, and Gilgeous-Alexander could not have been happier with the outcome. The set-to went back and forth from opening tip, but his game-winning turnaround jumper in the paint with 1.1 seconds left on the game clock gave the Thunder the victory with the slimmest of margins. And this time around, he made sure to fill up the board; he finished with 25 points (including 11 in the playoff period, hitting nine of 20 shots overall), six rebounds, eight assists, and two steals — all reflecting a line closer to his 2023-24 campaign norms.
The triumph ensured that the Thunder would remain ahead of the Nuggets in the Northwest Division, behind only the league-leading Timberwolves. It’s likewise their fifth in the last seven contests, providing them with some measure of momentum heading into their encounter with the Grizzlies. The latter would otherwise be fodder, but may well find confidence in the return of Ja Morant from a lengthy suspension. They will then be locking horns with a series of tough opponents in the Clippers, Lakers, Timberwolves, Knicks, Nuggets, Nets, and Celtics.
In short, the Thunder will have their work cut out for them in the foreseeable future. And, needless to say, they will expect Gilgeous-Alexander to lead the charge. They go where he goes, and if his output yesterday is any indication, they’ll be doing just fine.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
