OKLAHOMA CITY — There are nights in sports that don’t need context. Monday at Paycom Center was one of them.
With the game tied and 2.7 seconds on the clock, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander caught the ball, read the defence, stepped back 26 feet, and buried a three-pointer over Christian Braun to give the Oklahoma City Thunder a 129-126 victory over the Denver Nuggets. The arena erupted. The MVP debate, for most watching, was over.
But the game-winner was almost the least remarkable thing that happened on the night.
A Record 63 Years in the Making
Earlier in the third quarter, on a step-back three that gave him 22 points, Gilgeous-Alexander did something no player in NBA history had done since Wilt Chamberlain — he scored 20 or more points for the 126th consecutive game, tying a record that had stood for over six decades. Chamberlain set that mark between 1961 and 1963, a streak that included his legendary 100-point game. For 63 years, nobody had come within 35 games of matching it.
SGA didn’t just tie it on a quiet Tuesday in February. He tied it in primetime, against his chief MVP rival, in front of a roaring home crowd — then put the dagger in with the whole world watching.
“It’s a lot to even wrap my head around,” Gilgeous-Alexander said afterwards. “I try not to even think about it, especially during the season.”
A Stat Line for the History Books
The final numbers read like something from a video game: 35 points, 15 assists, 9 rebounds, zero turnovers — shooting 14 of 21 from the field. The only other player to post 35 points and 15 assists without a single turnover in a game since 1978 is LeBron James, who did it against the Toronto Raptors in 2018.
His teammate Jalen Williams put it plainly after the final buzzer: “He’s the MVP of the league — but he’s a better person.”
Jokic Was Brilliant. It Wasn’t Enough.
What makes this performance even more extraordinary is who was on the other side. Nikola Jokic — the three-time MVP and SGA’s only real competition for this year’s award — was spectacular. He finished with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists, including a clutch four-point play in the dying seconds that tied the game at 126 and briefly gave Denver hope.
But Gilgeous-Alexander answered immediately. The Thunder, who were playing without Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, refused to buckle.
“He’s an amazing player,” Jokic said after the game. “He made some big shots, what he’s been doing the whole season. Someone’s going to say it’s a tough shot, but he’s making those.”
Unstoppable Thunder
With the win, Oklahoma City improved to 51-15 on the season — the best record in the NBA — and extended their lead at the top of the Western Conference. It was their sixth straight victory since Gilgeous-Alexander returned from an abdominal strain, and by any measure their best regular-season win of the year.
Jaylin Williams was immense in support, hitting seven three-pointers — a career high — on his way to 29 points and 12 rebounds while guarding Jokic for stretches. On a night the Thunder’s frontcourt was decimated, Williams showed exactly why the organisation locked him up long-term.
What Comes Next
Thursday night, the Boston Celtics come to Paycom Center. If SGA scores 20 or more, he breaks the Chamberlain record outright. No other player in NBA history has come within 35 games of this mark. He’s about to own it alone.
The MVP trophy looks like it’s already been engraved.
— Dugout Chronicle | Your home for sports news that hits different.
