Shai Gilgeous-Alexander set to return for Thunder on Friday
shai-gilgeous-alexander-return-thunder-nuggets
The Oklahoma City Thunder will have reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander back in the lineup Friday night when they host the Denver Nuggets. The guard was cleared Thursday after sitting out the past nine games with an abdominal strain.
Gilgeous-Alexander suffered the injury during a Feb. 3 victory over the Orlando Magic. Oklahoma City went 5-4 during his absence, and its lead atop the Western Conference standings has narrowed to two games over the surging San Antonio Spurs, who have won 10 straight and own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
While Gilgeous-Alexander is no longer listed on the injury report, the Thunder will remain without two key contributors. All-NBA wing Jalen Williams aggravated a right hamstring strain after appearing in two games before the All-Star break and will be reevaluated in about a week. Reserve guard Ajay Mitchell, sidelined since Jan. 21 with an abdominal strain, delayed his expected post-break return when he sprained an ankle during a workout.
Before the injury, Gilgeous-Alexander was averaging 31.8 points, 6.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals. DraftKings Sportsbook lists him as the MVP favorite at ‑125.
Source: ESPN
