The Oklahoma City Thunder are 56-12 through twenty-one weeks of action. The Thunder suffered their only loss of the week on the second of a back-to-back against the Denver Nuggets. The Thunder would go on to have an impressive East Coast road trip, with victories against the Boston Celtics, the Detroit Pistons, and the Milwaukee Bucks.
With 14 games remaining, the Thunder currently have a 13-game lead for the No.1 seed in the Western Conference.
Here’s my Week 21 — Thunder Player of the Week:
Thunder Player of the Week
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the short-handed and small Thunder to a 3-1 record in Week 4 with averages of 34.5 points, 7 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1 block while shooting 54 percent from the floor, 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 92.1 percent from the free throw line.
Amid a historical season, SGA had another signature performance against the Detroit Pistons. He scored 48 points and was a high-level shot-creator and scoring masterclass at all three levels.
SGA GOES OFF FOR 48 IN DETROIT ‼️
👀 NBA-leading 12th game of 40+ PTS
📊 61st-straight game of 20+ PTS
📈 OKC wins 9 of 10 and improves to 23-1 vs. the Eastern Conference pic.twitter.com/QmlYiG3sm1— NBA (@NBA) March 16, 2025
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Historical Season
In 66 games played, SGA is averaging 33 points, 6.2 assists, 5 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1 block per game on 52/37/90 shooting splits.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the seventh player to score 20+ points in 60 consecutive games in a single season. He has currently scored 20+ points in 62 consecutive games. He leads the NBA in 20-point, 30-point, 40-point, and 50-point games.
SGA’s impact and production have led to a special season, as the Thunder are 56-12 despite key players missing a lot of time. Chet Holmgren — 46 games, Jalen Williams — 7 games, Isaiah Hartenstein — 21 games, Alex Caruso — 24 games, Cason Wallace — 9 games, Isaiah Joe — 8 games, Kenrich Williams — 14 games, Ajay Mitchell — 34 games, and Jaylin Williams — 30 games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Leadership
SGA has emphasized trusting his teammates and better preparing them for the playoffs. Thunder beat writer Joel Lorenzi asked a great question — on whether seeing their roles change (through injuries) has helped him be compassionate in that process. Here’s some insight and response from SGA:
“It shows me how spoiled I am. … this year, more than any year, guys have had to step outside their box, and that’ll help down the line. Wiggs has done it for a month straight. Dub did it in San Antonio. Chet did it in Boston. … I just want to make sure I’m empowering them and keeping them in rhythm for when the lights are on and when it really matters.”
Shai has talked about needing to trust teammates and wanting to help position them for the postseason. Asked if seeing their roles change (thru injuries) has helped him be compassionate in that process:
“It shows me how spoiled I am. … this year, more than any year, guys have… pic.twitter.com/c5Ue0UDLab
— Joel Lorenzi (@JoelXLorenzi) March 16, 2025
Takeaways:
After allowing the most points in the season in their loss to Denver, the Thunder bounced back with an impressive East Coast trip — winning in Boston, Detroit, and Milwaukee to finish out the week.
Wins: @ Boston Celtics (118 to 112), @ Detroit Pistons (113 to 107), and @ Milwaukee Bucks (121 to 105).
Loss: vs Denver Nuggets (127 to 140).
End Of The Week Updates
With less than a month left of the regular season, the Thunder are close to breaking the record for the most wins in franchise history.
Jalen Williams has missed the last three games with a hip strain, and Lu Dort missed the previous game with a hip strain. Ousmane Dieng is also out with a calf strain and has no return timeline.
The Thunder will look to head into the playoffs with momentum by continuing to round Chet Holmgren into form and be as healthy as possible.
Main Image: David Butler II-Imagn Images
