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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Timberwolves Fans Heckle "Free Throw Merchant" Shai Gilgeous-Alexander During Game 4 Of NBA West Finals
The OKC Thunder somehow led through the second half despite the Timberwolves shooting 57% from the field. While the Timberwolves struggled with turnovers, they were a lot more efficient from beyond the arc. They shot 47% from beyond the three-point line in the first half. However, the Thunder ensured they kept the lead with a steady flow of offense coming from Jalen Williams (15 points), not just Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They won the first half 65-57. Gilgeous-Alexander, however, led all scorers with 21 points in the first half. He went to the free throw line six times and made five of them. During a trip to the free-throw line, the Timberwolves fans started chanting "free throw merchant" in unison. This moment was caught on tape by SportsCenter. Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in the regular season for free-throw attempts with 8.8 per game. He apparently claims that his free-throw shooting has come under the microscope only because the Thunder are winning now. In 2022-23, when the Thunder finished as the 10th seed in the West, no one cared that he averaged nearly 11 free throws a game (10.9). Advertisement He seems to enjoy the attention that he is getting from fans due to his ability to reach the free-throw line and get 50-50 calls in his favor. What Others Think About Gilgeous-Alexander's Free-Throw Shooting From opposing coaches to players, almost no team has gone through this season without expressing frustration with the number of fouls Gilgeous-Alexander is able to draw. David Adelman, Michael Malone, Chris Finch, and even Anthony Edwards, almost all the recent opponents of Gilgeous-Alexander, have directly or indirectly called out the favorable whistle he gets from officials, especially during these Playoffs. Even during Game 4, Doris Burke, who has done this on broadcast before as well, called SGA a "free throw merchant" on air. Gilgeous-Alexander recently secured his first Michael Jordan MVP Award over Nikola Jokic, despite the Serbian averaging a triple-double in the season. While some of the discourse may stem from jealousy of that fact, most stems from the truth. Here's a look at the fouls he was able to draw in Game 1 of this West Finals series. It is visible from the video that in at least four of the 13 incidents mentioned, it was Gilgeous-Alexander who either initiated the contact or tripped over nothing and still got a call in his favor. Therefore, it is clear that he has developed a skill to draw fouls. Advertisement Only Giannis Antetokounmpo (12.6) and Donovan Mitchell (9.9) average more free-throw attempts than SGA (9.2) in the Playoffs this season. That's nearly 33% of his 28.7 points per game average in the Playoffs just coming from the free throw line. Do you think this excessive foul drawing has led to a fall in the viewership? Let us know what you think in the comments section. Related: Jaden McDaniels On Shoving Shai Gilgeous-Alexander To The Floor: "I Just Wanted To Foul Him For Real"
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
"Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Saved The NBA" - Former NBA Player Makes Bold Claim About Copycat League
"Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Saved The NBA" - Former NBA Player Makes Bold Claim About Copycat League originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Sam Presti's process has paid off for the Thunder as they now reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could become the first MVP since Stephen Curry in 2015 to win the regular season MVP and the NBA championship. After their Game 4 win over the Timberwolves, Jeff Teague, a former NBA player, claimed Gilgeous-Alexander has saved the NBA with his mid-range shots. Advertisement 'I want to say something about SGA,' Teague said. 'I think SGA saved the NBA. I'm not saying it because of how he performs, but the way he plays." 'He saved the NBA because it's a copycat league, and he perfected the midrange game. So he brought back the ability to shoot the midrange shots. It was either a three or a layup. I got crucified in Minnesota for shooting midrange shots." 'Him being the MVP, and his go-to shot is a midrange, he literally just saved the NBA. That's a shot that, if you can perfect it, you're always going to get a good shot. Defenses are made for you to take that shot, and he perfected it. It looks crazy because you let him get to his bread and butter, and he's scoring at will." 'He made it acceptable again because even though his game is very smooth, he's not the most entertaining person, but if you watch basketball, you're like, 'How is he so effective?'" Advertisement "It's all based on his ability to get to the midrange. So now other people watching know they've got to be a three-level scorer because they've got to be able to get a good shot every time.' Gilgeous-Alexander shot 57.08% from the two-point range (697 of 1221), including mid-range shots and finishes at the rim (layups or dunks) in the regular season. Teague is right to the extent that Gilgeous-Alexander saved the mid-range shot from dying as a trend among the new generation of basketball players, but not the league as a whole. What LeBron James Said About Gilgeous-Alexander's Mid-Range Game LeBron James went on his podcast 'Mind the Game' with Steve Nash last week and claimed shot creators like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have helped burst the myth that mid-range shots are dead as an offensive option for teams in the modern NBA. Advertisement "The (shot) creators in our game have always worked on mid-ranges," James said. "The common fan will say there are no mid-ranges in our game. It's just fastbreaks, layups, threes, and free throws. But that's just absolutely not true." His mid-range game has helped him average 30+ points for the third regular season in a row. 31.4 points per game in 2022-23, 30.1 points per game in 2023-24, and 32.7 points per game this season. He also earned the Michael Jordan MVP Award for his performance in 2024-25 and the Magic Johnson West Finals MVP award for his performance in the series against the Timberwolves. It is becoming clear that the league is recognizing Gilgeous-Alexander, and with his rising fame, he will become a role model for more young players to emulate. Related: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Joins Elite List With Michael Jordan, LeBron James After Game 5 Win In West Finals This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on May 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
