Latest news with #Gilgeous-Alexander
Miami Herald
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Thunder thrash Wolves in Game 5, storm into NBA Finals
Even before the basket went in, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spread his arms wide to his side in celebration. Cason Wallace left his right arm high in the air, just waiting for the ball to drop through the basket. Soon enough, inevitably, it did. Wallace's corner 3-pointer at the buzzer was the exclamation point on a dominant first quarter for Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, who rode the hot start to a 124-94 home win that ended the Western Conference finals in Game 5 on Wednesday. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 34 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as the Thunder closed out the best-of-seven series. "I didn't want to go back to Minnesota travel-wise and I wanted the fans to enjoy the moment with us," Gilgeous-Alexander said. The Thunder are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012 and the fifth time in franchise history. The first three appearances came when the club was based in Seattle. Oklahoma City will host Game 1 of the Finals against either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks on June 5. "Happy for this moment, but this isn't our goal," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "This isn't the end of our road." The Wednesday outcome was evident early, as the Thunder buried the Timberwolves under the weight of a stifling defense and playmaking by Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Oklahoma City put the game away quickly, leading by 17 after the first quarter and 33 at halftime. The Timberwolves saw their season end in the Western Conference finals for the second consecutive year. "I'm going to work my butt off this summer," Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards said. "Nobody's going to work harder than me this summer, I'll tell you that much." Gilgeous-Alexander dished out five of his assists in the opening quarter as he again showed why he was selected the NBA's Most Valuable Player. After the Timberwolves scored the game's first hoop, Gilgeous-Alexander had a hand in all five Oklahoma City baskets during an 11-0 run that started the Thunder's march toward the blowout. In that stretch, Gilgeous-Alexander had four assists -- three on Holmgren buckets -- and drained a finger roll to start the separation. On Monday, the Timberwolves started Game 4 red hot from the field but ultimately fell 128-126. On Wednesday, Minnesota struggled on offense from the start, going just 1-for-11 from the field over the first five minutes. Gilgeous-Alexander outscored Minnesota in the first quarter 12-9 and scored or assisted on 24 of the Thunder's 26 first-quarter points. Minnesota had more turnovers in the first half (14) than it did field goals (12). The Timberwolves finished with 21 turnovers. Holmgren amassed 22 points and seven rebounds while Williams had 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists. "These guys really make me feel like I'm a kid playing AAU basketball, like I'm 15 years old again," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "It's just fun. That's what makes us really good. We have so much fun being out there together." Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 24 points while Edwards scored 19 on 7-of-18 shooting. "They dominated the game from the tip," Edwards said. "Can't do nothing but tip my hat to those guys. They came ready." --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander goes sentimental on son watching him win WCF MVP
The post Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander goes sentimental on son watching him win WCF MVP appeared first on ClutchPoints. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has got to be one of the happiest people on the planet. His and the Oklahoma City Thunder's job may not be finished, as they are still locked in on their ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship, which they are ever so close to after a 124-94 beatdown of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the closeout Game 5, but he has a lot of reasons to be joyful. Advertisement Not only was he named the MVP of the league this past season and the MVP of the recently-concluded Western Conference Finals, he also has a loving family — with his lovely wife and son being in attendance for Game 5. Being a father has changed Gilgeous-Alexander's life for the better, and he now knows what matters the most to him in life, which then puts basketball and every goal of his and the Thunder's in the right perspective. 'I think the best thing about that moment is that he has no clue what's going on and that he's just happy to see me. In life in general, you get caught up in so many things that don't actually matter. That's the biggest thing with having my son in the past year. He's put on the forefront. He's shown me everything that actually matters in life,' Gilgeous-Alexander said in his postgame presser, via the official NBA account on X (formerly Twitter). Gilgeous-Alexander has become a lightning rod for criticism in recent years for being a 'free-throw merchant'. Regardless, the Thunder star is unfazed because every day of his life, he recognizes what actually matters to him — his family. Advertisement '[My son] reminds me of that every day I wake up, every day he wakes me up. Every day he cries and wakes me in the middle of my sleep. He's amazing. He'll see this one day, I guess. He puts everything into perspective for sure,' Gilgeous-Alexander added. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder benefit from the 'dad buff' © Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has gotten better with age, and over the past year or so, he's been playing his best basketball. Seeing his son, Ares, be born may have something to do with that. Gilgeous-Alexander's son was born on April 25, 2024, and since that time, he's averaging 32.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in 100 games on 51/37/88 shooting splits. Having a child and loving someone in a way that's so pure and genuine has brought out the best in the Thunder star, and now, he is on the cusp of another life milestone, as they need to win just four more games to be crowned as the NBA champion.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reveals motivation from Thunder fans for Game 5 win
The post Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reveals motivation from Thunder fans for Game 5 win appeared first on ClutchPoints. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wanted Oklahoma City to feel the moment. And man, did the Thunder deliver. On a night when the Thunder could punch their ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012, they didn't just win—they dominated. Oklahoma City throttled the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, advancing to the Finals in emphatic fashion. Advertisement 'Wanted the fans to enjoy the moment with us,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'I wanted them to celebrate tonight in our building. Go home. Get drunk. Whatever they do. I want them to have fun with the moment.' The Thunder's fans had every reason to. Their team jumped out to a 17-point lead in the first quarter, holding Minnesota to just nine points—its lowest output in any quarter this season, postseason or otherwise. By halftime, it was 65-32. The game was effectively over before the second half even began. Gilgeous-Alexander, who's had a postseason for the ages, dropped 34 points with eight assists and seven rebounds in the closeout game, capping off a series that saw him average 31.4 points and earn Western Conference Finals MVP honors. Advertisement 'It almost seemed like we did everything we were supposed to do,' he said. 'We were clicking on all cylinders… it really starts with defense for us.' The Thunder advance to the Finals for the first time since 2012 Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images The Thunder defense smothered Minnesota from the opening tip, forcing 21 turnovers and holding the Timberwolves to 41.2% shooting. Oklahoma City turned defense into offense, and the result was a 30-point blowout—their fourth win of the playoffs by 30 or more, the most ever in a single postseason. Head coach Mark Daigneault credited his squad's laser focus. 'The focus through the distraction of a closeout game to go to the Finals is what was most impressive,' Daigneault said. 'That allowed our best to come to the surface.' Advertisement Now 12-4 in the postseason and owners of the best regular season record in the NBA at 68-14, the Thunder are just four wins away from their first championship in franchise history. But don't expect them to get caught up in the celebration. Gilgeous-Alexander made that clear: 'This isn't the end of the road. There's still four really hard games to go win.' With an elite defense, a fearless young core, and their MVP leading the charge, Oklahoma City is peaking at the right time. The Finals begin June 5, and whoever comes out of the East—Indiana or New York—will have their hands full. The Thunder, once an underdog, now look like a team destined for greatness.
USA Today
19 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's trust in Sam Presti's vision continues to pay off
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's trust in Sam Presti's vision continues to pay off After destroying the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 124-94 Game 5 win, the Oklahoma City Thunder proved doubters wrong as they cruised through the Western Conference to punch their ticket to the 2025 NBA Finals. I suppose what you do for six months during the regular season carries some weight in the playoffs. Fresh off a historic 68-14 campaign that saw them break the all-time point differential record at plus-12.9, the Thunder went 12-4 through the first three rounds of the playoffs with mostly blowout wins. As Shai Gilgeous-Alexander saw his teammates grab hats and shirts, the postgame ceremony was the latest achievement the Thunder have accomplished in one of the greatest campaigns ever. Only the illustrative NBA championship is left as they await the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks. Smiling ear to ear, Sam Presti shared the spotlight with Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder GM was the architect of this squad. Every move has paid off along the way, but they wouldn't be in this position if he hadn't traded for the MVP winner way back in 2019. "Sam didn't lay out no vision for me. He just traded for me, we had a few conversations, and I realized he knows what he's doing very quickly," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "And then I just trusted him and controlled what I could control. As you guys can see, he has done a great job at doing his job." Considering their history, the Thunder should understand how difficult it is to get to the NBA Finals. It took them 13 years between visits, with the cast of characters changing a handful of times in between. But after a couple of days of celebration, they must refocus on basketball if they want to achieve the ultimate crown of an NBA title. If anybody can make that pivot, it's Presti. Everybody within OKC has pulled on the same rope for years. From ownership to the roster, that type of company synergy is an intangible needed to achieve this type of success. "He has changed things around here very quickly," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "It speaks to the tone that he set across the organization. He controls what he can control, and we do that all the way down the ladder. I think that's why we've been able to have success."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Just Gifted His Teammates Rolexes
When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins, he makes sure his teammates shares in his victory, too. The Oklahoma City Thunder point guard gifted his entire team Rolex watches, among other goodies, to celebrate the MVP award he snagged this season in the NBA, Hypebeast reported. And his squad was all too happy to receive the present: Thunder forward Jaylin Williams took to Instagram to show off the Rollies on the players' wrists, with a smiling Gilgeous-Alexander in the background. Advertisement More from Robb Report As for the models in question, it appears as though Williams is donning a two-toned Sea-Dweller in Oystersteel and yellow gold, featuring a Cerachrom bezel insert in black ceramic (priced at $20,300, per the Rolex website). The other timepieces seem to be the Datejust 36, with both a Jubilee bracelet ($14,400) and an Oyster bracelet ($13,650) on display, a Sky-Dweller in Oystersteel and white gold ($16,600), and a Submariner Date with a royal-blue dial ($17,600). Gilgeous-Alexander didn't stop there. The Canadian also gifted his fellow teammates iPhones, Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, and custom Canada Goose jackets with an embroidered patch commemorating the Thunder's 68-14 regular season record. In total, the gift basket is worth well over $10,000, according to Hypebeast. It seems like for the star point guard, the price was well worth it. Advertisement 'I can't say enough how much you guys mean to me, and not only as a basketball player, but as family,' Gilgeous-Alexander said in his MVP acceptance speech, according to Complex. 'I know you guys know that we do everything together, on and off the court, we do shopping, we eat. You guys are really like my brothers . . . Without you guys, none of this would be possible. I want you guys to know that this award is your award, too.' This isn't the first time an MVP win has spawned a Rolex. James Harden gifted teammate Joel Emid a $41,500 Day-Date 40 in Everrose gold when the latter snagged the most valuable player award for the 2033-23 season with the Philadelphia 76ers—including a custom '2023 MVP' engraved on the caseback. Of course, presents for teammates appears in other sports, too: Patrick Mahomes gave his offensive line what appeared to be a stainless-steel Datejust 41 with a white dial and Jubilee bracelet for Christmas last year. We'll have to see if the NBA Finals MVP doles out an equally lavish gift to his squad. Best of Robb Report Sign up for RobbReports's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article.
