The second half officially kicks off on Thursday for the OKC Thunder as they prepare for a tough matchup at home against the NBA-best Phoenix Suns. The Thunder have been without their franchise star Shai-Gilgeous Alexander for 10 games due to an ankle sprain. That being said, is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing vs Suns?
Is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Playing vs Suns
The short answer is yes, SGA will finally return to the lineup here, which is a huge boost to the slumping Thunder. The Canadian guard hasn't played since January 28th against the Indiana Pacers, where OKC ultimately lost a nailbiter in OT.
Mark Daigneault said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is back and will play tomorrow.
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) February 23, 2022
Gilgeous-Alexander is enjoying yet another fine season, leading the Thunder with a team-high 22.7 points per game to go along with 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds. While Josh Giddey has been holding it down from a playmaking standpoint, it will be refreshing for the Thunder to get one of their best scorers and facilitators back in the mix.
Article Continues BelowAlso, SGA's usage is the highest on OKC at almost 30% per night. He gets a lot of touches and will certainly be a focal point against the Suns. Essentially, Gilgeous-Alexander rolled his right ankle in that contest vs. Indiana and couldn't return. He's spent the last month rehabbing and even teased his return over the All-Star break with this post:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posted “BE BACK SOON… ⏰” on Instagram the day of the All Star Game.
Bet SGA is anxious to remind everyone he’s an All Star talent. pic.twitter.com/fiT7TZZBeS
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) February 20, 2022
Thunder fans will undoubtedly be excited to see SGA on the court again. While Oklahoma City is nowhere near contention, he is their franchise cornerstone and a key piece of the offense every single night. Head coach Mark Daigneault could put him on a minutes restriction initially just to be cautious. Before he went on the shelf, Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 25+ in three straight games. Let's hope he can find that brilliance once again.
So to answer the question, is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing tonight? The answer is yes, he will be taking the floor.