Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to a Game 4 win with 40 points, brushing off “free throw merchant” chants from Timberwolves fans. He called the label a compliment and said he’s focused on winning.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t bothered by the noise. After dropping 40 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 128-126 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, the All-NBA guard responded to taunts from Wolves fans and made it clear he doesn't hear the hate.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who added 10 assists and 9 rebounds in the victory, went to the free throw line 14 times — a stat that drew loud “free throw merchant” chants from the home crowd in Minnesota. But for SGA, it’s all part of the game.
“Like, the way I see it, fans are gonna do whatever they can do to help their team win and knock me off my game, me being the head of the snake of our team,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the win, via ClutchPoints’ Josue Pavon.
“And that's their job, that's what creates home-court advantage, that's what creates a fanbase, that's what creates energy in the building, and they want the Timberwolves to win. They don't want the Oklahoma City Thunder to win. So I expect nothing else,” he added.
Gilgeous-Alexander has now attempted 14 or more free throws in three of the four games in this series. But the star guard isn’t losing sleep over the criticism.
“As far as the label, I don't care. I never cared. I've said this before, I've shot more free throws in a season than I did this season,” he said. “I think because we're at the top of everyone's radar, it's a little bit more noticeable and now people care about it, but I kind of see it as a compliment.”
Indeed, while Gilgeous-Alexander has taken a high number of free throws in the postseason, his regular-season average of 8.8 attempts per game is actually down from 10.9 last year, though still the second-most in the league.
Beyond the foul shots, SGA’s dominance has put OKC just one win away from its first NBA Finals appearance since 2012. The Thunder now head back home for Game 5, with a chance to close out the series on Wednesday night.
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