Shai puts a true MVP performance in another Oklahoma win

How beautiful it is to watch Shai Gilgeous-Alexander when his main goal isn’t to draw free throws with ballet-like acrobatics, but instead to run a little basketball clinic and show everyone why he was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. The commissioner of the world’s top basketball league, Adam Silver, presented him with the MVP award before the game started, and in front of his home crowd, Shai decided to justify the honor with a stellar performance. He finished the game with 38 points (11/19 on two-pointers, 1/2 from three, 13/15 free throws), three rebounds, eight assists, and three steals. He led Oklahoma to another victory in the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves – 118:103.

The main topic after the first game was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s free throws. There was flopping, ballet-style falls, flailing and jumping into defenders for two-shot fouls—so much so that more was said about that than the fact that Oklahoma dominated their opponent in Game 1 of the Western Finals. The fact that the Canadian point guard manipulated the system and found loopholes in the rules was quickly forgotten after he was awarded the MVP between the first two games—beating out Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Traditionally, the "Michael Jordan" trophy was handed to him before Game 2 against the Timberwolves. With the trophy raised and the crowd cheering, he entered the game highly motivated—and dominated from the very start.

There were no theatrics in the paint or foul-hunting tactics, just pure "old school" basketball—the very style that earned him the title of best player this season according to voters. He hit mid-range shots, over defenders, off the glass, falling down, in every way imaginable. When the team stalled, he got them going. When no one had an answer, Shai delivered the ball through the hoop with ease and played fantastically. By halftime, he had 19 points with “only” six free throws and gave Oklahoma an +8 lead heading into the break. He had good help from All-Star teammate Jalen Williams and offensively active Chet Holmgren, while the usual energy off the bench came from Alex Caruso on both ends of the court. Their three-point shooting was off (4/20), and they were challenged by Minnesota’s zone defense with four men, set by Chris Finch, but even that didn’t help. Not even the fact that Minnesota hit nine threes.

No jet lag for Oklahoma: Thunder crush Minnesota

In the third quarter, Anthony Edwards became the all-time leading playoff scorer for the Minnesota Timberwolves, surpassing Kevin Garnett and etching his name in the franchise’s history books. At just 23 years old, he reached 1,051 points—truly impressive. He sparked the Timberwolves in the third quarter, helping them pull even with the Thunder, largely due to a drop in energy from the home team. However, when it mattered most—the pressure kicked in. Minnesota missed open threes, Oklahoma players stole live balls, and Shai kept dancing on the court.

While the Wolves looked around, Oklahoma pulled away again, this time to a double-digit lead that only grew. The Thunder once again found a way to crush their opponent quickly. Incredible defense, perfect transition play, and calm execution from role players are traits only championship teams possess—traits Oklahoma has been showing game after game. Minnesota simply had no answers for the home team’s style of play, which led to a +22 lead heading into the final 12 minutes. Shai had 30 points by then. For a team like Oklahoma, that kind of lead is insurmountable. The Canadian playmaker rested for a few minutes, but even with a big lead, he quickly returned because Mark Daigneault wasn’t taking any chances. Minnesota surged again and threatened to cut the lead to single digits, but Oklahoma held them off and secured a very easy 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals series. They’re now two wins away from the grand final, and the series moves to Minneapolis.