Shai Gilgeous-Alexander must be building some incredible shoulder strength as he carries the Oklahoma City Thunder throughout the 2020-21 season.

The icing on his latest 30 point outburst? A dagger step-back 3-pointer over reigning Rookie of the Year Ja Morant in the Thunder's Sunday afternoon game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Thunder escaped with a 128-124 win, pulling them within two games of the final spot in the NBA play-in tournament–behind the Grizzlies. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added four rebounds and five assists in the winning effort.

Also contributing in major ways was the Thunder's 2021 first-round draft selection Aleksej Pokusevski, who notched his first career double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds. In just Poku's third game since returning from the G-League bubble, the seven-foot power forward is showing that his highlight reel isn't just for fluff.

Following the monster offseason that included trades to ship out All-Star Chris Paul, Steven Adams, Danilo Gallinari and Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Dennis Schroeder, no one expected the Thunder to be in as strong a position to compete for the postseason as they currently find themselves in.

But with Gilgeous-Alexander's progression as a legitimate first option, the emergence of Dariuz Bazley and Lu Dort, and the pride of veterans like George Hill and Al Horford, the Thunder refuse to tank. Credit to first-time head coach Mark Daigneault for taking on the challenge of winning with a roster that appeared to be at a talent deficit heading into 2021.