Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had an interesting idea to spice things up in the NBA. The Thunder are coming off a 113-105 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. It was an important game for the defending champions, which is why they made sure they captured the win. Oklahoma won its third straight game in the Emirates NBA Cup and has snatched an 18-1 record in the 2025-26 season.
The Thunder is motivated to defend its title this season. They have not shown signs ot weakness and have dominated every opponent they’ve faced. Their lone loss so far was against the Portland Trail Blazers. The team proved to be a formidable opponent even in that 121-119 loss.
With a $500,000 reward for the victorious team, OKC takes the In-Season Tournament even more seriously. Last season, they came close and reached the final round. However, the Milwaukee Bucks had the same mission and won the entire contest.
The In-Season Tournament has given players extra motivation to take games more seriously. Even the defending champions want to secure the prize this season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander suggested that the league fund regular-season games in order to maintain the players’ and teams’ competitiveness following the game against the Wolves.
“The games mean a little bit more,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I literally earn money by winning these seven games. So, there’s a little bit of incentive behind it. A little bit more than waking up and playing, that’s for sure. They should do that for every game. Put a little money behind it.”
“The games mean a little more. I literally earn money by winning these seven games. So, there’s a little bit of incentive behind it…
They should do that for every game,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the NBA Cup pic.twitter.com/7zfI0fwKUt
— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) November 27, 2025
The next Cup game for the Thunder will be on Friday against the Phoenix Suns. The team looks to extend its win streak to four games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander carried the Thunder, according to Mark Daigneault
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander proved why he won the MVP last season against the Wolves. SGA led the squad with 40 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals in a crucial game. The current league MVP hit 63.2% of his shots from the floor and operated mostly inside the 3-pointer.
After the game, head coach Mark Daigneault talked about how the three-time All-Star led the team to its 10th straight win.
“He carried us for a little stretch there to close the (1st) half and allowed us to open a nice lead. Late game, they were throwing a lot of people at him, and he was making every right play,” the coach said. “He read the game really well tonight, took what the defense gave him and also recognized what we needed.”
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
