Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been one of the best offensive weapons in the league this season for the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is the main reason why the Thunder have a chance to contend for the 1-seed in the Western Conference, and why Gilgeous-Alexander finds himself in the MVP conversation next to Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.
With just 10 games remaining on their schedule, the Thunder will be back in action on Friday night against the Phoenix Suns, a game that matters for both sides pertaining to the standings in the West. However, the Thunder star's status for this game is in question due to an ongoing quad injury. This has led many to ask the question: Is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing vs. the Suns on Friday night?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander injury status vs. Suns
The Thunder played against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night, a game in which Gilgeous-Alexander missed for just the second time this season. Without Shai on the court, the Thunder came up just short, losing 132-126 in overtime on their home floor. Oklahoma City has now lost both games in which Gilgeous-Alexander sat out.
In regards to his status for Friday night's game against the Suns, Gilgeous-Alexander is continuing to deal with a right quad contusion. The Thunder originally listed him as doubtful to play, and unfortunately, he was eventually ruled out for the contest.
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (quad) is OUT of today's game against the Suns, coach Mike Daigneault has confirmed. pic.twitter.com/K03xggKiME
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 29, 2024
This injury originally occurred on March 20 against the Utah Jazz when Gilgeous-Alexander fell hard to the ground after appearing to bang legs with Jazz forward John Collins. Although he stayed in the game and didn't miss any of the next few games, SGA's quad has been taking extra time to heal. With the Thunder in a position at the top of the standings right ahead of the playoffs, the team is comfortable letting their star miss some games in order to be 100 percent healthy for their first-round series.
Without Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor in their previous game against the Rockets, Oklahoma City leaned heavily on Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams to lead the way offensively in their starting lineup. Giddey finished the game with 31 points and seven rebounds, and Williams recorded a 23-point, 10-assist double-double. Rookie big man Chet Holmgren struggled to find his rhythm in this game, as he fouled out early in the fourth quarter after just 18 minutes of play.
The Thunder's bench unit also stepped up with their leader resting, as Isaiah Joe, Gordon Hayward, and Aaron Wiggins combined for 46 points on 9-of-12 shooting from 3-point range. Hayward was a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
With Gilgeous-Alexander sitting out his second consecutive game on Friday night against Phoenix, the Thunder will likely lean on these familiar names for production once more. This will be the final meeting between Phoenix and Oklahoma City this season. The Thunder won each of the first two matchups against the Suns, both of which were on the road.
Gilgeous-Alexander has played in 70 total games this season, averaging 30.4 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 54.0 percent from the floor. He currently leads the league in steals and 30-point games. In order to be real title threats come playoff time, the Thunder will need their leader on the court. This is why it is likely that they will seek to get him extra rest on Friday against the Suns.
So, when it comes to the question of whether Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is playing tonight vs. the Suns, the answer is no.
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