Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during an NBA game.
The battle of NBA MVPs on Monday, March 9, surely didn’t disappoint.
In a game between Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, both players dazzled.
The latter ended up making history in multiple ways, while coming out on top with the victory.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Joins Exclusive List With LeBron James
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
GettyGuard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket.
In 39 minutes of action, Gilgeous-Alexander shot 14-21 from the field and 3-7 from three to score 35 points.
In addition to his scoring, Gilgeous-Alexander dished out 15 assists to secure the double-double, while coming down with nine rebounds. He also registered one blok and one steal.
With 35 points and 15 assists, Gilgeous-Alexander made NBA history, joining an exclusive list with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. The perfect high-volume assist-to-turnover ratio was truly special.
via @UnderdogNBA:
Players in NBA history with 35+ PTS, 15+ AST, 0 TO in a game:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (tonight)
LeBron James (2018)
End of list.
Underdog NBA
Players in NBA history with 35+ PTS, 15+ AST, 0 TO in a game:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (tonight) LeBron James (2018)
End of list.
Gilgeous-Alexander landed plenty of help in the matchup, getting 29 points out of Jaylin Williams. He also secured a double-double by coming down with 12 rebounds.
On the other side, the Nuggets received a strong game from their MVP-winning center, Nikola Jokic.
In 40 minutes, Jokic shot 12-19 from the field and hit on five of his six free throws to score 32 points.
More Thunder News: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Likely Secured MVP With Game Winner
Typically a triple-double threat, Jokic added another one to his yearly collection. He dished out 13 assists and came down with 14 rebounds. Jokic also blocked a shot on the defensive end.
The Thunder defeated the Nuggets 129-126.
Hoop Central
SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER GAME WINNER
OH MY GOODNESS. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Another MVP Season In The Making
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
GettyShai Gilgeous-Alexande had 34 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a win over the Spurs.
To no surprise, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having another MVP season in the making.
The Thunder star went into Monday’s action with 53 games played this season. After averaging 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists last season, Gilgous-Alexander is right in the same range.
The star guard averages 31.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists. He is shooting at a higher percentage, knocking down shots at a 54% clip from the field and 38% from beyond the arc.
Last year, Gilgeous-Alexander ended up beating out Jokic for the league’s MVP award. After being top five in the voting over the previous two seasons, Gilgeous-Alexander finally won the hardware.
This year, he’s looking to become the latest NBA player to repeat the award.
Landing in company with LeBron James, while beating out Jokic, will certainly be a great campaign sweetener.
James, the 41-year-old legend, has won the league’s MVP award on four occasions. While Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t enter the elite conversation as early as LeBron in his career, he’s certainly an undeniable elite player at this stage of his run. As SGA continues to pile up impressive personal accolades, his argument for a Hall of Famer himself just grows by the night at this point.
After Monday’s action, the Thunder will get a few days off before returning to the court on Thursday to take on the Boston Celtics.