Top News

From MVP to a shadow of himself, Shai: “I need to be better”

Sandy Verma | May 19, 2026 8:24 PM CST

The night was supposed to be the perfect celebration for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His second consecutive MVP trophy presented in front of the Oklahoma City crowd, a playoff atmosphere at the Paycom Center, and the opening game of the Western Conference Finals on his home floor.

Instead, by the end of the night, it was the San Antonio Spurs celebrating after pulling off a stunning 122-115 double-overtime victory.

And the first person to take responsibility was SGA himself.

The numbers explain his self-criticism well: 24 points and 12 assists in 51 minutes, but on a rough 7-for-23 shooting night with four turnovers. Numbers far below the unreal standard he set throughout the season.

Spurs defense took Gilgeous-Alexander out of rhythm

San Antonio’s game plan was obvious from the opening possession: make life difficult for Shai. Constant double-teams, heavy ball pressure, and above all, the massive presence of Victor Wembanyama protecting the rim.

The French star completely changed the way the Thunder attacked. Even without piling up blockshis presence closed driving lanes and created hesitation for anyone attempting to get to the basket.

SGA explained it clearly after the game:

For long stretches, OKC’s offense looked stuck. Gilgeous-Alexander frequently initiated from straight-on isolation sets, allowing the Spurs defense to collapse on him with ease. Before the late fourth-quarter stretch, he had made only 3 of his first 14 shot attempts.

Flashes of the real Shai

Even so, SGA still looked capable of flipping the game late. During the fourth quarter he finally found his aggression again, attacking the rim decisively and creating opportunities for teammates.

First came a layup through traffic, then the game-tying basket with three seconds remaining after taking advantage of Wembanyama’s attention toward Chet Holmgren in the corner.

He also gave the Thunder the lead in the first overtime with a driving dunk. But every time, San Antonio had an answer – especially with a cold-blooded Wembanyama knocking down shots from deep.

From that point on, the two-time MVP didn’t make another basket.

Despite the difficult night, Gilgeous-Alexander never lost his composure. No complaints, no excuses. Just the understanding that the Thunder will need a different version of their leader if they’re going to even the series.

Mark Daigneault: “We’ll find solutions”

Head coach Mark Daigneault also acknowledged the team’s offensive struggles while maintaining confidence in his group.

Game 2 is already around the corner. The Thunder need answers – and quickly.