Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shows why he is NBA MVP in Thunder Game 2 victory

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was tired, his body was exhausted and drained.

And the game on Thursday hadn't even given up.

The past day was emotional when the Thunder superstar learned that he was appointed the most valuable player in the NBA. On Wednesday he celebrated with family and friends, performed on national television, celebrated with his teammates and trainers and then held an approach and a press conference.

On Thursday he stood on the midfield minutes before the beginning of the second Western conference final when NBA commissioner Adam Silver praised him, and then presented him with the MVP hardware.

“My feelings were so high that I was a bit tired out there,” SGA admitted. “Especially the beginning. I was a bit too juicy.”

Completely understandable.

So would have been a night in which Gilgeous-Alexander was a bit abolished. He could have been understandable or too exhausted or too emotional. He could have been against the timber wolves.

Instead, he was too good.

Donner 118, wolves 103.

Gilgeous-Alexander showed why he was the MVP. He scored 38 points and scored 12 out of 21 shots and 13 out of 15 free throws. He added three rebounds, eight assists and three steals, a typical SGA -Stat line.

Efficient. Dominate. Star.

“He is ready to play,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneult. “We knew that Minnesota, outside of game 1, would show up and play as they did. They put us in nearby options. They passed the ball. They were in the game early. It is a rather predictable thing, but only when you got out in the game do you need it and you need boys to have boys.

“And I thought he only led this evening with his approach, his strength and mix.”

But Gilgeous-Alexander admitted that he was not sure how he should navigate in the early part of the game. As good as he is – and he is masterful – he had never gone through it. Only have a few players.

How should he approach these first minutes?

“I thought about force the first few shots,” he said, “but I thought,” that's probably not the right way. “I just wanted to let the game come to me, lean on my teammates, play through, play them.”

He did not make a shot in the first four minutes of the game.

Instead, he set up a screen that long enough Julius Randle from Chet Holmgren, long enough so that the thunder tall man scored a goal on the edge. Then Gilgeous-Alexander condemned to Isaiah Hartenstein on the trail of one of his push shots.

Finally, SGA's first attempt came in a pruning that led to a small fall on the left baseline.

“I just didn't want to force the problem,” he said.

Again typical SGA.

The whole night was. After all, this is a guy who is the definition of cool. Always goes at his own pace. Never in a hurry, but never too late.

But becoming the MVP means that you cannot dictate everything. When someone says that they have to be in the middle place and, for example, have to get the trophy from the Commissioner for a few moments before the next largest game of their lives.

“It was always the team for them first,” said Silver to Gilgous-Alexander when the Paycom Center might be fell silent for the whole evening.

Then Silver proclaimed the MVP, shook his hand and handed the trophy.

SGA raised the trophy over his head and pumped it up and off a few times. When he turned to sit down the trophy, his teammates were around him. High -strength. Embrace. Smiling.

And Gilgeous-Alexander also smiled-but he also showed and encouraged his boys to return to their lineup for the pre-tip fiber. It was almost like saying: “Back to our regularly planned program.”

“It is very impressive how quickly he can turn the site,” said Jalen Williams, Sgas Kumpel. “Obviously a flow of emotions that probably goes through your head and the feeling of relief because you have to wait so long after the season. I have the feeling that it is just a lot of emotions.

“He can push them aside and have a night as he did tonight, is really impressive.”

What Gilgeous-Alexander did was also an example of his teammates. He stayed in character. He was the one he was this season.

That is powerful.

“Somehow it brings us to the same mode in which it is located,” said Williams.

Because as cool and calm and collected as Gilgeous-Alexander, he admitted that all night was different from everything he had experienced. At some point he looked over the dish where his wife Hailey Summers sat and found that there was a man next to him that he didn't know.

“Who is sitting with my wife?” Thought SGA.

He made a double take.

“I got a little tight,” he said, “but then I saw that it was Chris.”

Chris Paul, who played with The Thunder next to SGA in his first season, made the trip to the city to see the trophy presentation. The order with the Summers kept the whole thing a secret to Gilgeous-Alexander.

“You are my family,” said Paul The Oklahoman. “So I could be here, I would be here.”

During this season Paul was a mentor of SGA that ended in the Covid bubble, but since then the Point Guards have violated each other several times. As competitive as Paul is, he couldn't help but the development of SGA was impressed.

“It was just a matter of time,” said Paul about Gilgeous-Alexander, who won the MVP. “In order to go through these 20-win seasons and all of this and still have the faith and belief that they can come here, they do it differently.”

When Paul spoke moments after the game, Gilgeous-Alexander made his way to his group. After kissing for his wife and hugs for the rest of his family, he turned to Paul. They hugged, smiled and spoke for a long moment.

SGA later beamed when he was asked about CP3.

“He was the first man in my life to reach me the things I wanted to achieve,” said Gilgeous-Alexander: “And I really relying on him to get advice. Not only basketball council, but business consultation, the advice of your body to deal with a family if you do not live with you.

“There are so many things that you have to do as a NBA player, especially his caliber that go under the radar, and his instructions with it was great.”

On Thursday evening, Gilgeous-Alexander had the trophy, the honor, the spotlight, not to mention friends and family.

And at the end of the night he also had another victory in the final of the Western Conference.

“I am glad that we won so that I can really enjoy the last few days and take everything in,” said SGA.

Most excited about a win?

Now, The is typical SGA.

Jenni Carlson: Jenni can be reached at jcarlson@oklahoman.com. Follow how on facebook.com/jennicarlsonok at @jennicarlsonok.bsky.social and twitter.com/jennicarlson_ok and support your work and other Oklahoman journalists by buying a digital subscription today.

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