LOS ANGELES — Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made his return to Crypto.com Arena to face his old team, the Los Angeles Clippers, on Tuesday night. Gilgeous-Alexander's Thunder came out on top, defeating the Clippers 101-100 in a tightly contested game.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a game-high 31 points, seven rebounds, and four assists on 12-of-25 shooting from the field. 20 of those 31 points came in the second half as the Thunder rallied from a double-digit first-half deficit to defeat the Clippers.

Anytime he comes to Los Angeles, the first-time NBA All-Star gets a nice ovation from Clippers fans. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander says he's always appreciative of the love he receives from Clippers fans.

“I can always feel the love when I come back and it feels good,” Gilgeous-Alexander told ClutchPoints after the Thunder's 101-100 victory. “Fans are what make this game a whole lot more fun. And no matter where they're from, I’m always going to be appreciative of them.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, playing his rookie season with the Los Angeles Clippers. He started 73 games for LA and played all 82, helping them to the 2019 NBA playoffs, where the Clippers gave the Kevin Durant-led Golden State Warriors a run for their money.

Returning to face the Clippers, who traded him for Paul George after his rookie season, doesn't mean there's any added motivation for the already highly motivated Thunder guard.

“I don't think it's necessarily just this place,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander explained when asked if playing the Clippers means anything extra. “Now, I do love playing here just because of the atmosphere, but I have that chip on my shoulder everywhere I go. I work so hard and I trust my work every night I step on the floor. I try to prove myself and show the world what I'm capable of.”

By no means did that 2018-19 Clippers team make much noise — 42-40 record, first-round playoff exit — but an emotional attachment was certainly formed by fans to that team the likes of which have not been seen since. And if you watched them on a night-to-night basis, you'd understand why.

Led by Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, Montrezl Harrell, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Doc Rivers' raggedy Clippers team earned the respect of opponents around the league due to their fighting nature and never-back-down approach to each game.

“I think that year helped me understand what the NBA is about,” Gilgeous-Alexander added. “What a complete season is about, what playoff basketball is about. I learned so much that year. Through the ups and downs, good games, bad games, how to take care of your body, stuff like that.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made the jump from 10.8 points per game his rookie season to 19 points his sophomore season. Fast forward three years later, and Shai is the fourth-highest scorer in the NBA, averaging 31.4 points on an absurd 51 percent shooting from the field.

What's most interesting is that, as a guard, Gilgeous-Alexander is making fewer than one 3-pointer per game and taking just 2.5 per game, far and away the lowest mark among the top 15 scorers in the league.

In addition to the points, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 1.7 steals and a block per game. According to Basketball Reference, he would be the first point guard in NBA history to average over 31.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.0 block per game.

In 11 games against the LA Clippers throughout his career, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on 49.5 percent shooting from the field, 44.7 percent from 3-point range, and 97.6 percent from the free throw line.

The Clippers and Thunder will meet one final time on Thursday night. OKC has already won the season series by taking the first three games, so a win for the Clippers would, at the very least, provide them with more breathing room in the West while improving their conference record in case of any potential tiebreakers.