NBA fans are singing praises for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and berating Kevin Durant following the OKC Thunder’s win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. Gilgeous-Alexander outplayed Durant, who was with the Thunder for nine seasons.
All five Thunder starters reached double-figures in scoring as they beat the Suns 118-110. SGA put on a show at the Footprint Center, with a near triple-double of 35 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Jalen Williams booked 22 points and four rebounds, while Chet Holmgren added 14 points and nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, Durant only had 20 points and four rebounds as the Suns lost their second straight game. Devin Booker missed the outing with a sprained ankle, while Bradley Beal was the lone bright spot for the Suns with 31 points. Jusuf Nurkic added 14 points and 31 rebounds.
NBA fans were full of praise for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after his impressive performance against the Phoenix Suns. SGA is among the favorites to win the MVP this season and will likely make it an interesting race against Nikola Jokic.
Kevin Durant, meanwhile, was criticized by fans online and others, who trolled the former MVP. One Thunder fan reckons the franchise should retire SGA’s jersey first before KD:
“OKC should retire his jersey before KD’s.”
Another fan pointed out that SGA is close to breaking Durant’s franchise record for most 30-point games in a season:
“Shai is two games away from tying KD for the most 30-point games in a season for the Thunder. There are 22 games left.”
One fan shared their take on SGA-KD comparisons and sounded very sensible:
“Idk if Shai ever reaches KD’s peak but the automatic 30 points on tough shots a night reminds me so much of that era.”
Here are other reactions on X to the SGA vs. KD matchup on Sunday:
Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander win MVP?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has the second-best odds of winning this season’s MVP award. SGA has the OKC Thunder in first place in the stacked Western Conference. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets are behind them, but one slip-up can cause changes in the standings.
So, can the 25-year-old superstar take home the MVP in Oklahoma City? Maybe if the Thunder can solidify their hold at the No. 1 spot, SGA has a chance to become the franchise’s first MVP since Russell Westbrook in 2017. Kevin Durant also won the award in 2014.
Nikola Jokic remains the favorite to win due to his dominance on the offensive end. Joel Embiid was the frontrunner for the award before becoming ineligible due to injury.
