BBNBA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nails game-winner for the Thunder
Add another game-winning shot to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s MVP résumé. On Easter Sunday, he may have only scored 19 points against the New York Knicks, but his final two counted the most. SGA drilled a fadeaway 14-footer from the baseline with just 1.8 seconds left on the clock to seal the 113-112 win for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It wasn’t Gilgeous-Alexander’s best overall game. He shot just 7-16 from the field and had a highly unusual -15 in the plus-minus category. However, when the game was on the line, there wasn’t a Thunder fan alive who wanted the ball in anyone else’s hand. And he delivered.
Afterward, SGA spoke to the media while wearing sunglasses indoors and talked about his team’s triumphs despite their youth. How young are they? The collective age of the Thunder’s starting lineup is just two years older than that of the North Carolina Tarheels this season.
“We don’t use our age or our lack of experience as an excuse for ourselves. And we think of ourselves as a veteran, experienced group. That might be a little bit delusional but it helps us, for sure.”
Not only did SGA’s shot win the game, but it also mathematically clinched a playoff spot for the Thunder. They sit atop the Western Conference by a half-game and are in no jeopardy of missing the playoffs with just eight games remaining, but the win on Sunday etched an ‘x’ beside their name in the standings.
Even the most ardent OKC supporter did not see this type of excellence coming and it is largely thanks to former Kentucky guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
De’Aaron Fox welcomes back Trey Lyles in Malik Monk’s absence
Trey Lyles returned to action for the Sacramento Kings on Sunday after missing the last nine games with an injury. The timing worked out well as Malik Monk may now miss the next four to six weeks and perhaps the remainder of the season with an MCL. Lyles knocked down three of his five 3-point attempts and finished with 12 points off the bench in the Kings’ blowout win over the Utah Jazz.
De’Aaron Fox had a little bit to do with that 21-point victory as well. Fox filled up the stat sheet once again, posting 24 points, 12 assists, three steals, two blocks, and a +28 in the plus-minus column. Sacramento’s lead guard has his team barreling down the road to their second-straight playoff berth and will do everything he can to keep the run going as long as he can.
After the game, Fox gave a shoutout to his former Kentucky backcourt buddy, Malik Monk, preemptively calling him the 6th Man of the Year and saying they need him on the court. He subsequently lit the beam.
Other BBNBA Notes:
- LeBron James stole the show in Hollywood as he put up 40 points in the Lakers’ win over the Nets. However, Anthony Davis wasn’t too shabby either. He had 24 points, 14 boards, and three blocks to help the Lakers cling to the play-in standings status.
- There may not have been any end-of-the-game heroics like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but De’Aaron Fox and Anthony Davis were not the only former Kentucky players to post a double-double on Easter. Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 10 rebounds in the Heat’s 119-107 win over the Wizards.
- PJ Washington, who has been struggling with his shot since joining the Mavericks at the trade deadline, knocked down three of his five attempts from behind the arc on Sunday. He finished with 12 points and six boards in Dallas’s smashing of the Rockets.
BBNBA Stats for 3/31/2024
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | P/M | MIN |
| Anthony Davis (LAL) | 116-104 W vs. BRK | 24 | 9-12 (1-3) | 14 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | +18 | 35 |
| De’Aaron Fox (SAC) | 127-106 W vs. UTA | 24 | 7-15 (2-7) | 6 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 5 | +28 | 36 |
| Bam Adebayo (MIA) | 119-107 W vs. WAS | 22 | 6-12 (0-2) | 10 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5 | +10 | 37 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | 113-112 W vs. NYK | 19 | 7-16 (1-4) | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -15 | 35 |
| PJ Washington (DAL) | 125-107 W vs. HOU | 12 | 4-8 (3-5) | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +16 | 28 |
| Trey Lyles (SAC) | 127-106 W vs. UTA | 11 | 3-8 (3-5) | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | +2 | 19 |
| Nick Richards (CHA) | 118-130 L vs. LAC | 8 | 4-6 (0-0) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -12 | 25 |
| Cason Wallace (OKC) | 113-112 W vs. NYK | 6 | 2-3 (2-2) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 | 16 |
| Johnny Juzang (UTA) [Two-way] | 106-127 L vs. SAC | 3 | 1-7 (1-7) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +8 | 21 |
| Julius Randle (NYK) | 112-113 L vs. OKC | DNP-Shoulder | ||||||||
| Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) | 101-109 L vs. CHI | DNP-Knee | ||||||||
| Jamal Murray (DEN) | 130-101 W vs. CLE | DNP-Knee | ||||||||
| Malik Monk (SAC) | 127-106 W vs. UTA | DNP-Knee | ||||||||
| Tyrese Maxey (PHI) | 135-120 W vs. TOR | DNP-Hip | ||||||||
| Immanuel Quickley (TOR) | 120-135 L vs. PHI | DNP-Hip | ||||||||
| Olivier Sarr (OKC) [Two-way] | 113-112 W vs. NYK | DNP-G League | ||||||||
| Keldon Johnson (SAS) | 113-117 L vs. GSW | DNP-Foot | ||||||||
| Tyler Herro (MIA) | 119-107 W vs. WAS | DNP-Foot | ||||||||
| Jarred Vanderbilt (LAL) | 116-104 W vs. BRK | DNP-Foot | ||||||||
| Brandon Boston Jr. (LAC) | 130-118 W vs. CHA | DNP-CD |
Tonight in the NBA
- 7:00: Celtics @ Hornets (Richards)
- 7:00: Grizzlies @ Pistons
- 7:00: Nets @ Pacers (Jackson, Tshiebwe [Two-way])
- 7:00: Trail Blazers (Sharpe [Out], Hagans [Two-way])
- 8:00: Hawks @ Bulls
- 8:00 (NBA TV): Suns (Booker) @ Pelicans
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