PHOENIX — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a career playoff-best 42 points on 15-of-18 shooting Saturday night, guiding the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 121-109 victory over the Phoenix Suns and a commanding 3-0 edge in their Western Conference first-round matchup.
The reigning NBA MVP burst through two defenders with 7:09 left in the fourth quarter, finished through contact and yelled “I don’t need it!” toward the Thunder bench as Phoenix called timeout. The outburst reflected a night in which he rarely needed help, converting 14 of 16 attempts off the dribble and all three shots when double-teamed.
Gilgeous-Alexander also hit 11 of 12 free throws, with six attempts coming in the final minutes as the Suns scrambled to prolong the game at Mortgage Matchup Center. According to ESPN Research, he is the fifth player in league history to score at least 40 points while shooting 80 percent or better in a postseason game, a feat last achieved by Devin Booker in 2023.
Oklahoma City produced the win without starting wing Jalen Williams, who missed Game 3 with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and will be re-evaluated Thursday. Even with the Suns able to send extra defensive attention Gilgeous-Alexander’s way, the Thunder star added eight assists and scored 25 points after halftime.
“I’m fortunate to be in this position,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “With our second ball handler out, the ball is naturally in my hands more. I just let the game tell me what to do.”
Chet Holmgren called the performance “a pretty normal night” for his teammate, while Suns coach Jordan Ott acknowledged, “We tried different matchups. Give him credit — he had us spinning tonight.”
Oklahoma City now has an opportunity to close out the series Monday in Phoenix. The defending champions have swept their first-round opponent in each of the past two seasons.
Source: ESPN
