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Toying with Pat Spencer, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander slammed on the brakes. A behind-the-back dribble created enough momentum for the reigning MVP to swish in an elbow jumper. Things were too easy for him as he was gifted a primed opportunity to pretty up his gaudy stats.
The Oklahoma City Thunder enjoyed a stress-free 131-94 win over the Golden State Warriors. The latter punted this one when Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green all sat out.
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Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 30 points on 10-of-20 shooting, seven assists and one rebound. He shot 3-of-5 from 3 and went 7-of-7 on free throws. All in three quarters, too. He clocked out earlier than scheduled once again.
The low-leverage environment barely had Gilgeous-Alexander break a sweat. When fully healthy, the Warriors are already significantly slower compared to the Thunder. Throw in a sea-sized talent gap, and you turn down the difficulty level to rookie mode.
Not wanting to add unnecessary mileage to his legs, Gilgeous-Alexander kept his drives short and sweet. Instead, the reigning MVP relied on his unmatched jumper. He pulled up from inside the paint. A couple of other times, he got to his spots at the baseline. Sprinkle in a couple of outside jumpers, and the 50-40-90 shooting splits ambition remains alive.
As the Thunder doubled their lead and then some, Gilgeous-Alexander had 14 points in the third frame. The only urgency left was if he'd reach 30 points through three quarters. He finally crossed that line. It was another game where he was able to rest on the bench.
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At this point, this is what Gilgeous-Alexander does. He continues to be a walking 30-point machine. It's a bummer for the average viewer that we didn't get to see a classic showdown between him and Curry, but you take the win regardless if you're OKC.
It was quite the day for Gilgeous-Alexander. With a trophy case already stuffed to the max, Gilgeous-Alexander received a couple of new accolades before the Thunder blew out the Warriors. The first was being named the Sports Illustrated 2025 Sportsperson of the Year. He reflected on the yearly honor and what it meant to him.
"It's special. The names on that list are insanely impressive. They respect the greatest of all time in their respective fields. It's all a blessing. All the hard work I put in has paid off. I'm reaping the benefits," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Shoutout to the people that helped me get here. My teammates that obviously go to war with me every night, help me play at this level. It takes a village, so I'm very thankful."
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reacts to being SI's 2025 Sportsperson of the Year
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