Is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing today vs Puerto Rico? Latest on OKC Thunder point guard's availability (July 21)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will lead Canada in an exhibition game against Puerto Rico on Sunday. The OKC Thunder guard is coming off an impressive performance two nights ago, leading his team past the highly-touted French. He hopes to build off from that outing with another dominant display against “Los Gallos.”

“SGA” showed in the matchup against France why many called him arguably the best player during the 2023 FIBA World Cup. With the All-NBA guard leading the attack, the Canadians consistently gashed the hosts’ defense which was anchored by Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert.

Without those towering centers manning the paint on Sunday, Gilgeous-Alexander might have an even more explosive night.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is Canada’s offensive hub

Besides Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, coach Jordi Fernandez Torres can also count on Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray. He can also call Andrew Nembhard to orchestrate the offense. “SGA,” though, remains the engine that makes the Canadians hum.

Canada’s possession always starts with the OKC Thunder superstar when he is on the court. The box score showed he had five assists, but he could have easily gotten more if not for some missed wide-open shots from his teammates.

The Canadians varied their attacks to prevent Wembanyama and Gobert from dominating them on defense. The two-time NBA All-Star’s off-beat style kept the French guessing. He would not hesitate to drive to draw defenders before kicking out to teammates. Sometimes, he would aggressively look to score with a pull-up jumper or sneak into the paint with an acrobatic shot.

“SGA” will be a marked man again but it remains to be seen if Puerto Rico can slow him down.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs Jose Alvarado will be an exciting matchup

Lining up across Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday will be one of the NBA’s craftiest and most aggressive defenders. One of Jose Alvarado’s biggest and most important tasks will be to help contain the All-NBA star.

“Los Gallos” coach Nelson Colon will try to give “SGA” different looks but “GTA” will likely be the Canadian guard’s main defender.

On the other end, Jose Alvarado will try to score against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who is an underrated defender. Alvarado went scoreless against Australia two nights ago, so he will be raring to bounce back. Getting buckets against the taller and bigger Gilgeous-Alexander will be a tall task for the undersized Puerto Rican guard.

Alvarado and Gilgeous-Alexander have had their battles in the NBA. Basketball fans can now see that duel on the international stage on Sunday.