The Oklahoma City Thunder are playing for the lead in the Western Conference. Well, it was not the original goal, but the young team is embracing it.
Loaded with draft picks and a wide array of young stars, the Thunder are currently just half a game away from leading the heavily contested Western Conference. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the undisputed superstar leader of that team. In his sixth year and already in the MVP race, Gilgeous-Alexander has led the young Thunder team to steady improvements over the past few years.
Tonight, against another resurgent young team in the Orlando Magic, the Thunder had to maintain their monthly winning record. Going into the final few minutes of the fourth quarter, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was rallying the Thunder after the Magic closed the lead down.
At one point, he was being shadowed by Magic superstar Paolo Banchero. Gilgeous-Alexander could not drive to the basket as he wanted. Instead, spun around and hit a step-back jumper to silence the Magic crowd. He then gestured to the Magic fans to “go home”.
The young Magic are no pushovers with themselves in the playoff race. And they tried their best to slow the Thunder, especially Shai Gilgeous-Alexander down. In the first half, they managed to keep Gilgeous-Alexander at bay. Their defensive schemes effectively reduced Gilgeous-Alexander’s impact on the game.
However, in the second half, Gilgeous-Alexander came out gunning. He got into a hot streak to rally the Thunder to a formidable 127-113 victory over the Magic. The win helps them celebrate and rest while the NBA All-Star weekend takes place.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the young Thunder are soaring
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s rise to the top is a story for the ages. Generally, a team that loses its three MVP-level superstars takes a long time to turn their fortunes around. The Thunder took exactly four seasons since trading Russell Westbrook away to get back to playoff contention. This step-by-step ascension has been single-handedly due to the development of their young players.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rallied the Oklahoma City Thunder to a win over the Orlando Magic (image via Oklahoma City Thunder/X)The Thunder has not had a single superstar on their squad since 2020. The emergence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as an MVP candidate is a testament to the constant development of the coaching staff. The Thunder are second in the West not by luck, but by hard work.
Yes, some of the superstar-laden Western conference teams are yet to show their true colors. But, that does not mean the Thunder are not legitimate playoff contenders.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just showed the Orlando Magic what confidence is. He and the Oklahoma City Thunder will need it, come playoff time.
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