The Oklahoma City Thunder star, Shai Gilgous-Alexander, is the current favorite of MVP bets, but the prize is not locked up with Nikola Jokić of Denver’s Nuggets who has his own historical season just behind him. In fact, who knows if Jokić is even behind Gilgeous-Alexander in the minds of voters. In truth, the only thing that will bet the probabilities is how the stinking money comes from the public.
Either way, this is a tight race and everything that Gilgeous-Alexander as Jokić, and by extension, their teams, do so during the last five weeks of the season, good or bad, they will have an impact on the final count.
I will get out of a limb here, but I will guess that Gilgeous-Alexander that puts 51 points in the victory of Oklahoma City over the Rockets on Monday describes as something good on his side of the biggest book.
This was the fourth time that Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 50 points this season, which leads the league. And the four 50 -point exits have arrived in their last 19 games. Gilgous-Alexander also leads the league in 40-point games (9), 30-point games (37) and 20-point games (59). SGA has only scored less than 20 points once this season, and even then scored 18 in the fourth game of the season.
Add that, and that is 56 consecutive games with at least 20 points for the league scorer leader at 32.6 points per game. The next closest player is Jalen Brunson, who scored 20 in seven consecutive games. Seven. Think about that.
The cherry cherry was that SGA’s performance arrived in the 50th victory of the Thunder season, and needed each part of the score of their superior dog. Houston put 128 points despite being without four headlines at Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks and Fred Vanvleet.
Jalen Williams scored 24 for Oklahoma City, but no other headline had more than 11 Gilgous-Alexander made 18 of his 30 shots, including 5 of 9 of 3, and had 10 out of 10 of the free throw line. He added seven assists, five rebounds plus a robbery and a blockade in victory 137-128.
