Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finds his groove as Thunder prove who they are against Nuggets

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said Game 2 would be fun.

He didn’t know the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 149-106 dismantling of the Denver Nuggets would be historic.

On a night the MVP finalist labeled as one in which the Thunder would find out what they’re made of, Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a powerful reminder of who he is and why the Denver Nuggets can’t get comfortable as this Western Conference semifinals series shifts to the Rockies tied 1-1.

The Nuggets did exactly what they wanted to do in stealing home-court advantage following a stunning, comeback victory in Game 1. But the Thunder will hit the road carrying confidence and momentum, largely thanks to Gilgeous-Alexander’s brilliance.

Through the first two games, he’s averaged 33.5 points on 59 percent shooting (23-of-39), with seven rebounds and eight assists per game. He’s turned the ball over just three times in 70 minutes.

In Game 2, Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 34 points on an absurd 11-of-13 shooting, including a perfect 11-of-11 from the free-throw line.

“We knew what was at stake,” he said. “We came out desperate. We wanted to just take care of and control the things we knew we could, and we did a pretty good job of that, especially to start the game. That start carried us.”

That blitz reestablished the Thunder as title contenders and reminded the Nuggets why they haven’t — and maybe can’t — slow him down.

After a Lu Dort 3-pointer gave OKC a 3-2 lead, the Thunder erupted on a 30-11 run. They led 45-21 after one quarter and led by as many as 49. It echoed their 51-point thrashing of the Memphis Grizzlies in round one.

By halftime, the Thunder had 87 points — a new NBA postseason record for the most in a half during the play-by-play era (since 1997-98).

The Thunder eventually emptied their bench for the entire fourth quarter, just shy of challenging the Boston Celtics’ all-time playoff scoring record (157 points, set in 1990).

If it wasn’t a statement game, the Thunder certainly proved that they’re not the team that let Game 1 slip away.

“I didn’t really look at (Game 2) as a response as much as I looked at (the win) as just us being who we are, and that’s how we’ve been all season,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “We don’t really respond to the last game. When we win, we don’t have more confidence. When we lose, we don’t have more urgency. I think this team has a really good baseline that we just try to return to every day when the sun comes up and we have a game. And I thought that’s what (Game 2) was.”

Several factors contributed to Oklahoma City’s third blowout win in six games this postseason. Its ball movement was crisp, its defensive rebounding improved, and it flustered Nuggets star Nikola Jokić, who fouled out in the third quarter. Bench contributors Aaron Wiggins, Cason Wallace, Jaylin Williams and Alex Caruso all made meaningful impacts.

Still, Gilgeous-Alexander was the engine. He finished a game-best, plus-51 in just 30 minutes, a new NBA playoff record. He set the tone early, scoring 13 points with five assists in the first quarter.

“I definitely wanted to put an imprint on the game from the (start) without trying to force anything,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And ultimately still just let the game tell me what to do. The game’s going to test me every possession down. They’re going to throw a coverage at me, and I have to make the right decision with the right answer. I think I did a pretty good job of that in the first quarter. That’s what I was focused on in the first quarter. Do that every time down the floor and let my teammates make the plays from there.”

Shai makes it look easy 🥱 pic.twitter.com/JVjekzQ2MC

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 8, 2025

What makes Gilgeous-Alexander so difficult to stop isn’t just his scoring; it’s his selflessness. He constantly probes, slithering into the paint or working his way to his favorite mid-range areas. But it’s the way Gilgeous-Alexander never stops hunting teammates for even better shots, or just to get them going, that makes him so lethal.

“I mean, 34 points on 13 shots is hard to do. So that was impressive,” Daigneault said. “But I thought his floor game was really good. I thought his pace was really good. He was off (the ball) early. He made them pay when they over-helped on him. He had the ball ahead of him all night, so he got his teammates shots too. It wasn’t just a one-man show. He was super efficient. He had an unbelievable blend tonight.”

Thunder guard Jalen Williams praised Gilgeous-Alexander for carrying so much trust in his teammates.

“He’s just unselfish,” Williams said. “He trusts us to make plays, and that just comes with time. This is my third year playing with him. So it’s just one of those things like trust. It grows, and I think he understands that in order for us to be successful, he has to trust us the way we trust him. And he’s done a great job of it so it makes it really easy to play confidently and play off of him.”

Coming into Game 2, the Thunder were keenly aware of the chaos unfolding across the playoffs. With top seeds falling at home — New York winning twice in Boston, Indiana pulling the same heist in Cleveland — OKC understood the danger of losing both home games. Gilgeous-Alexander approached it the way he does the regular season: stop losing streaks before they start.

“If we lose one, I try to have an emphasis on the next game to try to not lose two in a row,” he said. “In the playoffs, it’s even harder to win on the road. Losing two at home puts you in a worse spot. You completely lose home-court advantage. It’s definitely on your mind.”

Williams said that mentality is contagious.

“It definitely leaves an imprint,” he said. “When you see how desperate he is to win a game, it almost drags you along with it. And we have a team full of guys who play that way anyway. (Game 2) was no different. I think even the first game. That’s kind of our DNA. I think that’s what makes us stand out.”

And now Gilgeous-Alexander has found his groove.

After averaging just 24.3 points on 35 percent shooting in his first three postseason games, he’s looked more like his MVP-worthy self, averaging 35 points on 57 percent shooting.

He says nothing’s changed.

“I feel the exact same,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I feel like I’m getting to where I want to go. I don’t worry about makes and misses. It’s all about the process for me. I try to put myself and my teammates in the best position I can every possession down offensively and defensively. And wherever that takes me, wherever that takes our team, I’m happy with as long as I make the right decisions night in and night out, play in and play out. That’s what I’m focused on more than the makes and misses. So I feel just as confident as I did those two games where I couldn’t make anything.”

Now, the shots are falling and, as promised, the fun is back in Oklahoma City.

(Photo: Alonzo Adams / Imagn Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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