Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder faced the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, their third meeting against the Zion Williamson-led team. Oklahoma, which won the first two games, could win the season series with another victory.
SGA missed his first four attempts and ended the first quarter with a 3-for-9 clip, including 1-for-3 from deep, for 10 points. Despite the point guard’s rough shooting start, the Thunder led 33-20 after the first 12 minutes ended. Oklahoma shot 5-for-9 behind the arc, a key reason for their early advantage.
The All-Star starter came off the bench with 6:33 remaining in the second quarter and immediately hit a 3-pointer. He finished the period with seven points to help his team to a dominating 72-50 lead at halftime.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his best quarter in the third period. The Thunder franchise cornerstone scattered 14 points with two assists. Oklahoma edged the New Orleans Pelicans 30-28 to extend the Thunder lead to 102-78.
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Thunder coach Mark Daigneault kept his prized point guard on the bench in the entire fourth quarter. With the home team comfortably marching to the finish line, SGA finished the game, cheering for his teammates on the sidelines.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues hot form in February
Shai Gilgeous Alexander is averaging 34.0 points per game in February. The highlight of his month was a 50-point outburst against the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 5. SGA's lowest output this month was 25 points versus the Toronto Raptors two nights after the Suns encounter.
The Canadian has also been efficiently doing damage against opponents. He is making 52.8% of his shots, including 37.0% from behind the arc. Despite opposing teams concentrating on him, he as been quite on target.
The 31-point finish against the New Orleans Pelicans was his second back-to-back 30-point night. He had 32 points in 34 minutes versus the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. Oklahoma is 6-0 this month behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's sizzling stretch.
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