Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had another brilliant game Sunday as the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder rolled over the Denver Nuggets by a 127-103 margin. Gilgeous-Alexander dominated the game with 40 points and 8 assists but he did not try to use the occasion to demand respect for his potential MVP candidacy. In fact, Gilgeous-Alexander took the opposite approach when Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets was brought up as a player who is also a leading candidate for the award.
“It’s something to talk about,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the win over the Nuggets. “It’s entertainment — that’s part of the sport. It’s an honor to be in the conversation itself. It’s been really fun.
“Most of the appreciation comes from my teammates. No matter how good of a player I am, if we don’t check the win column as much as we do, the conversation wouldn’t be a conversation.”
The victories have been coming for the Thunder. The victory over the Nuggets was Oklahoma City's seventh in a row. The Thunder and the Nuggets have the two best records in the Western Conference, but the difference between the two teams is substantial. The victory allowed Oklahoma City to improve its record to 53-11 while Denver fell to 41-23. The Thunder has a 12-game lead in the standings.
Jokic and his teammates could not stay close to their hosts, but the Denver big man had a strong statistical performance. He had 24 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists and that came on the heels of his remarkable showing Friday night against the Phoenix Suns. Jokic had 31 points, 22 assists and 21 rebounds in the 149-141 overtime triumph.
Gilgeous-Alexander has been a clutch performer for the Thunder all season
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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum.
Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
The Thunder ended up rolling to a 24-point victory, but the Nuggets were within reach through three quarters. Oklahoma City had a 3-point lead at that point, but Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates ran away from Denver in the fourth. Oklahoma City rolled to a 41-20 edge in the final 12 minutes. Jalen Williams joined Gilgeous-Alexander by scoring 26 points with 9 assists and 8 rebounds.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the leading scorer in the NBA this year with an average of 32.8 points per game while connecting on 52.6 percent of his shots and 89.8 percent of his free throws.
Jokic is third in scoring as he is averaging 28.9 ppg and is connecting on 57.7 percent of his shots. He is averaging a triple-double, as he pulls down 12.9 rebounds per night and hands out 10.6 assists per game.
Giannis Anttokounmpo is second in scoring with an average of 30.9 ppg and while corralling 12.1 rebounds per game.
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including "Who's Better, Who's Best in the NFL."