Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in danger of missing his third consecutive game on Sunday. Gilgeous-Alexander, who is battling a right quad contusion, is reportedly listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the New York Knicks, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Gilgeous-Alexander is in the MVP conversation. He has performed well throughout the 2023-24 season. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, is in the middle of a tight race atop the Western Conference standings with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets.
As of this story's writing, the Thunder are tied with the Timberwolves for first place. However, the standings have been changing almost every other day. It appears to be a three-horse race for the top spot in the West, as the No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers are five games back.
The Thunder have plenty of star-power on their roster. Additionally, Oklahoma City's depth has stepped up this season. Still, in order to clinch the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference they will need Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to return as soon as possible.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been nearly unstoppable
The 25-year-old is currently averaging 30.4 points per game on 54 percent field goal and 36.7 percent three-point shooting. He's also recording 5.6 rebounds and 6.3 assists per contest.
There are a number of great offensive players in today's NBA. Gilgeous-Alexander is obviously among them. However, he is also a terrific defensive presence. In fact, the Thunder superstar leads the NBA in steals per game with a mark of 2.1. He clearly works hard on both ends of the floor and the results are impossible to deny.
So will Shai win the MVP?
Well, it's a difficult question to answer right now. Nikola Jokic has been the front-runner ever since Joel Embiid went down with an injury. Luka Doncic has slowly climbed the rankings and is establishing himself as a legitimate MVP candidate.
The NBA MVP race will be intriguing to follow as the 2023-24 season winds down. Of course, Gilgeous-Alexander will need to return soon if he wants to make one last case for the award.
In the end, the Thunder are more focused on the playoffs. They would rather ensure that Gilgeous-Alexander is healthy than risk rushing him back for an award. Barring a complete collapse, Oklahoma City is probably going to earn the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference at the very least, so they are in a strong position from a standings perspective.
For now, it appears that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will not play against the Knicks on Sunday. However, nothing is confirmed yet. His current doubtful status could be upgraded at some point. The Thunder will provide more information on Sunday ahead of the game.
Tip-off for the Thunder-Knicks game is scheduled for 7 PM EST in New York.