The Oklahoma City Thunder are the best team in the Western Conference, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might be the best player in the NBA.
He’s certainly the frontrunner for this year’s MVP and has been having some amazing games lately.
On Monday, Gilgeous-Alexander talked about his recent track record via NBA on X.
He said the numbers are important and something to be proud of, but “you play the game to win.”
Gilgeous-Alexander made it clear that all he really cares about is earning a victory, and while putting up over 50 points is nice, it doesn’t matter as much as a win.
“You play the game to win.”@shaiglalex doesn’t concern himself with the numbers if they don’t result in wins 😤
OKC secured their 50th win of the season behind Shai’s 51-PT outing. pic.twitter.com/XXY6ybBDoK
— NBA (@NBA) March 4, 2025
During Monday’s game against the Houston Rockets, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 51 points and seven assists.
For the season, he is averaging 32.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists on 52.5 percent from the field.
Gilgeous-Alexander has been a player to watch for years now, but this is his biggest season yet and he’s earning more attention and praise than ever before.
That’s partly because his Oklahoma City Thunder haven’t been this good in years.
They are easily the top team in the Western Conference and hold a 50-11 record.
For comparison, the second-place Los Angeles Lakers are 38-21.
At this point, it is very likely that Gilgeous-Alexander will win his first MVP this year, but that’s not what it’s all about for him.
Instead, his main goal is to get his team to the Finals and for them to win their first ring.
Gilgeous-Alexander is elated by how well he’s been playing, and so are the Thunder fans.
But he isn’t playing to score more points than anyone else; he is playing to win.
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