Shai Gilegous-Alexander of the OKC Thunder.
Dec 28, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
The Oklahoma City Thunder are flying high after two straight wins that came on the heels of four losses in six games including two in a row to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
The Thunder beat the Hawks 140-129 on Monday, one night after a 129-104 win against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Both victories were catalyzed in similar fashion as the Thunder came out strong defensively in the second half of each contest, staking their claim to much-needed wins against dangerous opposition.
Following the game, Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander issued an ultimatum to his team on what it must do to continue its winning ways.
Gilgeous-Alexander Makes Ultimatum
Gilgeous-Alexander remarked that the Thunder must continue to do what they did in the third quarter of both games to continue to hold their position as the NBA’s top team, or at least one of its top teams.
“Yeah. The last couple of weeks, we’ve learned that we’ve got to get back to ourself defensively if we want to win big in this league,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
“We can’t let that slip to achieve our goals,” the 2024-25 NBA champion added.
Thunder Offense Also Holds the Key
The Thunder’s offense is looking equally important considering their struggles against the Spurs, when they were held to 22 and 19 points in the two third quarters of those losses.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s team loves to play at a breakneck pace, running and scoring on the break as well or better than any other NBA team.
The Thunder’s pace on offense caused problems for their opponents throughout the 2024-25 championship season and Gilgeous-Alexander is a big part of it.
He scored 39 points Monday on fifteen made field goals while helping to anchor a strong defensive performance to open the second half.
The Thunder have slipped up far worse than any media members or fans expected in recent weeks, causing fears to resurface again among the OKC faithful.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s focus is on defense, while still providing the world-class offense fans have come to expect from last season’s MVP.