Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is him this season. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard did everything he could to push his team over the hump against a Milwaukee Bucks side that was without its top guns.
That includes nearly winning the game in overtime with a clutch stepback triple that put the Thunder on top of 1 with less than a second to go:
SGA HAS ICE IN HIS VEINS ❄️pic.twitter.com/Jdrz1nUoYS
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 10, 2022
The shot gave him 37 on the night and would have been the final one had the Thunder not committed a foul off the inbound play with 0.6 seconds left on the game clock. Brook Lopez imposed his hulking frame to tower over the Thunder bigs and get the foul called for two free throws. He split the pair and the Thunder lost in double overtime, 136-132.
Article Continues BelowSGA was the clear-cut best player on the floor without Giannis Antetokounmpo suiting up for the Bucks – and it showed. He finished with 39 points on an efficient 13 of 25 clip to go along with five rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
They likely would have escaped with the victory if not for Jevon Carter stepping up in a big with for the Bucks, piling on 36 points and 12 assists, both career highs for the guard most known for his defense.
Despite the loss, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and co. are clearly making strides this season as a competitive team. The Thunder own a losing record at 4-7, but are growing team chemistry with a consistent rotation.
The shoddy record likely won't keep SGA from the All-Star team this season if he continues at this pace.