For the longest time, Kevin Durant was considered as the best guy to have ever played for the Oklahoma City Thunder. But after a recent game against the Indiana Pacers, there’s now an argument to be made about All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
In a loss to the Indiana Pacers, Gilgeous-Alexander posted 30 points on 44 percent shooting from the field and 83 percent from the free throw line. Despite connecting only 14 percent from downtown, the Thunder guard also added 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block in almost 37 minutes on the court.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers’ starting lineup all scored in double-digits, with Myles Turner’s 24 points leading the pack. Both Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam had 18, while Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard had 15 and 14, respectively.
This loss has now placed OKC in a tie with the Denver Nuggets for the top spot in the Western Conference with both teams having 45 wins and 20 losses. The Indiana Pacers, on the other hand, are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference’s standings with a 37-29 record.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Breaks Kevin Durant’s Old Record With the Oklahoma City Thunder
Even though the Thunder lost to Indiana and have now become tied with Denver in the West, SGA still managed to make history. This time, though, he’s breaking Durant’s record for making 48 30-point games, the most in a single season for OKC.
Rylan Stiles caught Gilgeous-Alexander’s reaction to breaking the franchise record in a video he posted on X:
I asked Shai Gilgeous-Alexander about breaking Kevin Durant’s record for 30 point games in a single season he called it “a blessing” pic.twitter.com/LTvESKYwKt
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) March 13, 2024
Durant made 30 or more points for 47 games during two seasons – 2009-10 and 2013-14. In the latter campaign, KD won MVP when he averaged 32.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
This season, SGA is also a contender to win the MVP award. Throughout 64 games, the All-Star point guard is averaging 31.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and a league-leading 2.1 steals per game.
Thanks to Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP-worthy run this season, OKC is in a prime position to make it deep into the playoffs. With him leading the attack, the Thunder will surely make a lot of noise when the postseason starts.
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