Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will try to bolster his case for his first MVP award when the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Washington Wizards on Sunday.
The seventh-year guard tallied another 30-point game on Friday night to help Oklahoma City bounce back after having its franchise-record 15-game winning streak snapped.
This time, Gilgeous-Alexander poured in a game-high 39 points in just 29 minutes to help the Thunder rout the host New York Knicks 126-101. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 15-of-21 from the floor as Oklahoma City led by as many as 30.
The two-time All-Star leads the NBA with 22 30-point games this season and is averaging 31.5 points, 5.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per contest.
“He can make it look easy sometimes, but it’s not easy,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “And some of that’s his growth individually as a player, and just the things slowing down for him as he gains more and more experience. He’s still at the beginning of his prime as a player.”
Playing in a smaller market such as Oklahoma City could hamper Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP campaign, but the dynamic guard is quick to defend the city.
“I love Oklahoma City,” Gilgeous-Alexander told The Oklahoman. “I can’t see a world where I’m not in Oklahoma City. Market, no market. I don’t care. I love where I am. I’m comfortable where I am. I love the people in the organization, the people around me, and those are the things that matter. I go to work every day with a smile on my face.”
Gilgeous-Alexander had plenty of help in the win over New York. Isaiah Joe was 8-for-11 from 3-point range and finished with 31 points off the bench, while Jalen Williams had 19 points, four rebounds and five assists.
Oklahoma City has won its last five meetings against Washington, which owns the NBA’s worst record at 6-30.
The Wizards dropped their fifth straight game on Friday in a 138-105 road loss to the Chicago Bulls, who shot 55.8 percent from the field and 46.9 percent from 3-point range.
“Transition defense, controlling the paint, contesting shots, rebounding, extra efforts. All of it wasn’t good enough,” Wizards coach Brian Keefe told The Washington Post. “We didn’t bring the necessary level of attention to detail and focus levels to be able to stop them. That’s on me. We’ve got to be better.”
Jordan Poole returned after missing three straight games with a left hip contusion and scored 22 points against Chicago. Rookie center Alex Sarr added 11 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double in the last three games.
Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon has been out the last three games with right foot pain and is questionable for Saturday’s contest. Brogdon’s absence has created an opportunity for reserve guard Jared Butler, who is averaging 18.8 points and 5.3 assists over his past four games.
Washington is rebuilding around a core of young players, including guard Kyshawn George. The 21-year-old is shooting just 33.2 percent from the field and 25.3 percent from beyond the arc, but Keefe remains confident in the rookie.
“Not even worried about that at all,” Keefe told The Post. “The shooting is going to come. That’s stuff that he knows and he’s going to continue to work on. He’s a good shooter.”
–Field Level Media
