Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to set up big numbers, and he will take a new stick to improve his MVP ambitions when Oklahoma City Thunder visits Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday evening.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 48 points in Saturday’s victory 113-107 over Detroit Pistons, which marked the 12th time he has counted 40 or more this season. Four of these were excursions with 50-plus points.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic are in a two-horse race in the MVP competition. Jokic has of course won the honor for three of the last four seasons.
Gilgeous-Alexander was the runner to Jokic last season. He points to his teammates and coaches for why things can be different this time, especially with Thunder (55-12) who holds a 12 1/2 game lead in the Western Conference.
“If I had exactly the same figures I had and we were 10th West, it would not matter,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who has an NBA lead 33.0 point average along with 6.2 assists and 5.1 returns per match in 65 performances.
“The reason I have my success is because of this team and because of this group. It’s about winning and when you win everything else falls in line. I think we are 12 matches before the next team because of that mentality.”
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault trivialized Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP candidacy because it was a directive from the player himself, he said.
But he acknowledged why everyone else discusses who should win between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic.
“These are two fantastic ambassadors for the game,” Daigneault said. “Jokic is a good guy, a good team guy. Shai, I can’t say enough about as a person.
“I think it reflects well at the NBA that they are the two who all talk about.”
Most observers do not see a third post in the competition, but Buck’s coach Doc Rivers wants to differ.
Rivers took a motivated approach when discussing the situation and made it clear Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo should be part of the conversation.
“I will not campaign but he is a forgotten guy with what he has done for our basketball team,” Rivers said.
Antetokounmpo is a twice MVP that won the award during the seasons 2018-19 and 2019-20. He had 34 points, 10 returns and seven assists before he fourable when Bucks (38-28) registered a 126-119 home victory over Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.
Antetokounmpo is an average of 30.6 points, 12.1 returns and 5.9 assists this season in 54 games.
Antetokounmpo made 14 out of 19 shots against Pacers and all six of his free throw.
“When Giannis played aggressively as well as involving guys and rolling (to the basket), we were special,” Rivers said. “We shot 54 percent but we turned the ball (17 errors) too much.”
Damian Lillard scored six 3 points and contributed 25 points, 10 returns and eight assists when Milwaukee won a second straight match after losing the previous three.
Thunder has won nine of the last ten matches after beating Boston Celtics and Pistons to start a three-match trip.
Oklahoma City defeated the pistons without Jalen Williams (hip) and Chet Holmgren (rest) and then lost Luguentz Dort to a hip injury during the third quarter.
Holmgren is the only one of the three that can be counted on to fit on Sunday.
Cason Wallace added 20 points for Thunder against Detroit on a night where Gilgeous-Alexander made 17 out of 26 shots.
Oklahoma City directed the visiting Bucks 125-96 on February 3 during the first of the season’s two meetings. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points while Antetokounmpo (knee) and Lillard (groin) both set out with injuries.
-Field level media
