Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been out of commission for the Oklahoma City Thunder in their last two games due to a nagging ankle injury. OKC is currently barely clinging on to the 10th and final Play-In spot in the West, with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks breathing down their neck. The Thunder have another big game coming up on Friday, this time against the Indiana Pacers, which is why fans will be glad to know that the team is now in line for a massive boost on the SGA front.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander injury status vs. Pacers
Shai was actually already ruled out for Friday's game due to a left ankle sprain. However, the Thunder decided to upgrade him to questionable earlier today, which gave OKC supporters a glimmer of hope. In a rather unexpected turn of events, it has now been confirmed that Gilgeous-Alexander intends to play through the injury and will now be available against the Pacers.
This is an undeniably massive development for the Thunder, who went 1-1 without SGA in the mix. This sudden upgrade is a clear indication of how important Friday's contest will be, given that OKC is currently just one game ahead of the 11th-placed Mavs. Dallas is off on Friday, but they will be back in action on Saturday against the Miami Heat, and obviously, Shai and the Thunder will have a lot riding in that game as well.
For their part, however, OKC will need to win its game on Friday against an Indiana Pacers side that will be without Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner. A loss could lead to catastrophic results for the Thunder and their playoff aspirations.