The Oklahoma City Thunder are off to a historic start in the 2025-26 NBA season, and much of the credit goes to reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In a double-overtime thriller against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, SGA set a new career high with 55 points, surpassing his previous best of 54 points set last January against the Utah Jazz. He also added eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block in 45 minutes of play.
A major highlight of Gilgeous-Alexander’s performance was his mastery at the free-throw line. He ended the game with 15-of-31 shooting with 23-of-26 free throws, a new career high for both free throws made and attempted in a single game.
These numbers contributed to another record: SGA now holds the record for the most free throws attempted in a two-game span to start a season, with 40 combined attempts over the Thunder’s first two games, per Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. This surpasses previous benchmarks set by NBA legends like Bob Lanier and Wilt Chamberlain, who attempted 38 free throws in the same span.
In today’s NBA, drawing fouls and living at the free-throw line is a valuable skill, but it doesn’t always win fans over. Gilgeous-Alexander has mastered this craft to consistently put himself in scoring position. Despite being one of the league’s top talents, Gilgeous-Alexander often faces criticism, frequently labeled a “free-throw merchant” on social media. Last season, he led the NBA with 601 free throws made, outpacing James Harden’s 505 and Trae Young’s 491 by a wide margin.
Oklahoma City has now played double overtime in each of its first two games, winning both, a feat never before accomplished in NBA history. The season opener saw the Thunder defeat the Houston Rockets 125-124 in double OT, with SGA scoring 35 points on 10-for-14 shooting from the field and 10-for-14 from the free-throw line over 47 minutes.
On Thursday, Oklahoma City beat the Pacers 141-135 in a rematch of last summer’s NBA Finals, when the team won its first championship since relocating from Seattle. Gilgeous-Alexander scored nine points in the second overtime to put the result beyond doubt and became the first player in franchise history to record five 50-point games, tying Russell Westbrook’s franchise mark. Playing 92 minutes in two games, SGA has been unstoppable to start the season.
Supporting cast performances were also crucial. Ajay Mitchell scored a career-high 26 points, Aaron Wiggins added 23, and Chet Holmgren posted 15 points and 12 rebounds. The Thunder collectively made 45 of 51 free throws, dominating a game that featured 70 personal fouls and 91 total free throws.
Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin led his team with 36 points and 11 rebounds, while Pascal Siakam contributed 32 points and 15 rebounds. The Pacers were missing Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, and lost Andrew Nembhard to a shoulder injury in the second quarter.
After a day of rest, the Thunder will hit the road, facing the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, followed by a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday before returning home.
