It was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder who came out on top in what turned out to be a second-round NBA playoffs matchup for the ages.
Everything was on the line on Sunday for the Thunder and the Denver Nuggets, as these two teams engaged in a winner-take-all Game 7 clash. In the end, however, it was OKC that reigned supreme after a dominant 125-93 blowout win in the most important game of the season for both teams.
Gilgeous-Alexander stepped it up for his team when it mattered the most, dropping a game-high 35 points on 12-of-19 shooting, to go along with three rebounds, four assists, three steals, a block and zero turnovers in 36 minutes of action.
OKC Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2)
OKC Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2)
© Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Shortly after the final buzzer, Gilgeous-Alexander was seen sharing a brief moment on the court with Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic (20 points, nine rebounds, seven assists). Gilgeous-Alexander had a few words for the three-time MVP after handing Jokic and Co. a heartbreaking season-ending loss.
The NBA shared a video of the postgame handshake between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic, adding the perfect caption to describe the moment.
"Nothing but respect between SGA and Jokić ð¤" the league posted on X.
It is unclear what Gilgeous-Alexander's exact message was. In the video above, it also cannot be fully determined if Jokic had anything to say to the Thunder guard. However, what cannot be denied is that there's nothing but mutual respect from these two superstars.
It also so happens that Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic are the two frontrunners for this season's Most Valuable Player crown. Technically, the MVP award is determined by each candidate's performance in the regular season, so the result of this series should not impact the decision.
However, at this point, it would not be surprising if Jokic ends up settling for second place as Gilgeous-Alexander bags his first career MVP title.