052225-mcdanielssga.jpg
Getty Images
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was presented with his 2025 NBA MVP trophy on Thursday, is one of the most frustrating players to guard in the league, due to his unique style of play -- which earns him numerous trips to the free throw line -- and high level of skill.
In the midst of Gilgeous-Alexander putting up 38 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, and a 2-0 series lead, Jaden McDaniels decided that he'd had enough.
With just over six minutes to play, and the Timberwolves trailing by 16, Gilgeous-Alexander slithered past McDaniels, getting the Timberwolves forward on his hip. As Gilgeous-Alexander started to drive toward the basket, McDaniels shoved him in the back and sent him sprawling to the ground.
After one of the easiest reviews of all time, the officials upgraded McDaniels' foul to a Flagrant 1. During his postgame press conference, the Timberwolves forward explained why he threw Gilgeous-Alexander to the ground.
"I just wanted to foul him for real," McDaniels said. "I wasn't even mad. I just had fouls to use"
Unfortunately for McDaniels, his action was that of a very mad person, so it's hard to buy his explanation. Especially when the Timberwolves, as a whole, have made it clear time and again that Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder frustrate them.
Early in Game 1, Anthony Edwards was called for a technical foul for throwing the ball at Gilgeous-Alexander after a foul call. Following their series-opening loss, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch acknowledged that his players were upset about the whistle.
"There was a lot of frustration out there, but we talked about that before the series started," Finch said. "We have to be able to kind of put that to the side [and have a] get-on-with-the-next-play mentality."
The Timberwolves' issues with Gilgeous-Alexander go back even further.
"It's hard to [contain them] with the calls that Shai gets," Edwards said after a January 2024 loss. "It's hard to shut them down. You can't touch him any time of the game. It's super hard to beat. That team is a good team, especially when they're getting calls like that."
There was more of the same from Finch just a few months ago.
"It's so frustrating to play this team because they foul a ton," Finch said following a dramatic win over the Thunder in February. "They really do. They foul all the time. And then you can't really touch Shai. And it's a very frustrating thing and it takes a lot of mental toughness to try and play through it. And we just eventually were able to get downhill and force the issue ourselves and were rewarded for it."
Through two games in the conference finals, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 34.5 points and has taken 29 free throws. Not only is he in the Timberwolves' heads, but they clearly have no ability to slow him down. That's bad news considering they now have to win four of the next five games to keep their championship hopes alive.