Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the game-winner and history-maker as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets in dramatic fashion on Monday night.
Gilgeous-Alexander somehow found the basket with a step-back three-pointer with 3.3 seconds left as the Thunder edged out their Western Conference rival 129-126. That completed a brilliant performance that saw him score 35 points, a career-high 15 assists and zero turnovers.
It was his 126th consecutive game of scoring at least 20 points, matching Wilt Chamberlain’s record from 1961 to 1963. He also became the only player other than LeBron James to record at least 35 points, 15 assists and no turnovers since turnovers became an official statistic in 1977-78. James achieved the feat playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Toronto Raptors in 2018.
“It’s still a lot to even wrap my head around,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of matching Chamberlain. “To be honest with you, I try not to even think about it, especially during the season. So much is going on. So many things have to go right for you to get what you ultimately want. That gets 100% of my focus, especially basketball-wise. But obviously, being in a conversation with a guy like that, it’s special. It’s crazy to think that, [considering] where I was 10 years ago, I’d be here today.”
Just trusting my work, says Gilgeous-Alexander
After the buzzer went to signal the end of the game, Gilgeous-Alexander uncharacteristically strutted round the court waving his arms at the crowd.
On the match-winning moment, he added: “Just trusting my work, first and foremost, and then just reading the defense. Obviously, they were sending two [defenders] basically the whole second half, and I knew if I wanted to get an attempt late, I would have to go quick, go fast. And the deeper I drove, the more bodies would come. Yeah, kind of had no choice.”
“Tremendous poise, confidence,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “He doesn’t change his mindset regardless of the circumstance. He doesn’t break a sweat doing anything.”
Gilgeous-Alexander found a brilliant opponent in Nikola Jokic, who recorded a 32-point, 14-rebound, 13-assist triple-double night. But even the three-time MVP took time to praise the Thunder superstar, and particularly his record number of consecutive 20-point performances.
“I don’t know that people know how hard it is to do that,” Jokic said. “To make 20 points in 10 [straight] games, not 120 whatever it is, it’s special. He’s a special player.”
