Against the Los Angeles Clippers, Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stood out on Monday by scoring 45 points in Oklahoma City, his career points record.
Orphan of American hope Chet Holmgren, injured the day before against Golden State in a 127-116 defeat, the Thunder was not in full confidence before facing the Clippers.
THE Sooners relied on Gilgeous-Alexander to secure the victory by a score of 134-128. The Hamilton native made 13 of his 21 shots.
The evening looked good for him with 21 points at halftime and a score of 66-53 for the Thunder.
But the Clippers did not give up and came back to within 2 points of their opponents with 40 seconds remaining.
Without trembling, the Ontarian scored two free throws 23 seconds from the end of the game to record his points record.
Jalen Williams sealed the victory with a dunk with only one second left.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s teammate in club and national team, Montrealer Luguentz Dort scored 19 points.
In the race for MVP
The Canadian was drafted 11th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. Other players who entered the big league that same year quickly sparked like Luka Dončic and Trae Young.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s first season in Los Angeles was not as noted as Dončic and Young’s.
But his trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder the following year took him to a new level. It became the cornerstone of a new project.
Titled best player of the regular season in 3 of the last 4 years, Serbian Nikola Jokic seems untouchable in the league.
The Denver Nuggets player currently leads two statistical categories: rebounds and assists.
Last year, the Ontarian came second to Jokic in MVP voting.
That could change if Gilgeous-Alexander continues the high-level performances and keeps his team at the top of the Western Conference.
The Canadian will have more responsibilities with the absence of Holmgren, second pick in the 2022 draft, for at least eight weeks.
The game will mainly take place on the outside and he will no longer have to share his role with Josh Giddey, who left for the Chicago Bulls.
The point guard has undeniable mid-range skills that allow him to get easy points near the basket. He is able to accelerate towards the circle at any time.
Despite his slim physique, the Hamilton native does not hesitate to seek contact before shooting in order to have more time to execute his gesture.
If he shoots more three-pointers and gains confidence from distance, Gilgeous-Alexander could become unstoppable all over the court.
