On Tuesday night, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Dallas Mavericks 118-104 at the Paycom Center in downtown Oklahoma City. Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, is a Canadian point guard, who is also known as “SGA.” He was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but attended Kentucky from 2017-2018 before the Thunder drafted him with the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Gilgeous-Alexander is a star in his own right but recently commented on fellow star Luka Doncic after the Thunder’s quarterfinal win over the Mavericks. He led the Thunder in scoring with 39 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, while Doncic, 25, had 16 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. Still, he praised Doncic’s Mavericks, despite being a familiar foe with a short drive on the I-35, and had nice things to say. Read on for those things.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Shows Respect
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been making news in the NBA world, but for the right reasons. Gilgeous-Alexander has been a hot topic in the NBA MVP conversation and re-appeared in the headlines following the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 118-104 win over the Dallas Mavericks for a spot in the semifinals of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup. He had a statement game, as he not only led the Thunder in scoring with 39 points on 15-of-23 shooting but also added eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
After the Thunder-Mavericks game, Gilgeous-Alexander spoke highly of the Mavericks to OKC Thunder Wire’s Clemente Almanza, “They came out of the West last year and I respect that… That’s where I want to be at the end of the day, I want to come out of the West and win an NBA championship.” Gilgeous-Alexander’s kind words came just months after the Mavericks’ second-half rally and eventual NBA Finals appearance against the Boston Celtics. The team’s transformation gained Gilgeous-Alexander’s respect.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Remains Optimistic
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains optimistic about the Oklahoma City Thunder’s future, both in the short and long run. The Thunder’s future appears to be bright, as they have the tools to win an NBA title. The Thunder are 19-5 this season with a 2.5-game lead over their Western Conference opponents at the time of writing. However, the Thunder haven’t seen Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein play alongside each other yet, but they could see a Holmgren-Hartenstein duo on the court soon.
Holmgren, 22, is currently out with a right iliac wing fracture, a rare type of hip injury, sustained in a 127-116 home loss to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, November 10. Holmgren attended Tuesday night’s game for his first public appearance since sustaining the injury. Hartenstein, 26, has reportedly been enjoying his NBA return. Some media outlets have described Hartenstein as the Thunder’s “missing piece” who can transform the Thunder into a defensive rebounding power.
Next Up
The Dallas Mavericks retooled this offseason. The Mavericks acquired Klay Thompson, who previously played for the Golden State Warriors for 13 seasons, and seek a return to the NBA Finals. Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison reportedly felt like Thompson, 34, was the “missing piece” to the Mavericks’ NBA title hopes. The Mavericks’ postseason woes were mostly due to a lack of three-point shooting. When healthy, Thompson’s three-point shooting is still good for a veteran sharpshooter.
However, the Mavericks were eliminated from the 2024 NBA Cup after a 118-104 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dallas fell to 16-9 on the season, while Oklahoma City improved to 19-5. Now, the Mavericks will visit the Golden State Warriors on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Pacific, while the Thunder will face the Houston Rockets in the quarterfinal game of the 2024 NBA Cup in T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Pacific.
