Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Leads Thunder to Victory with His Third 50 Point Game of the Season

It would be a vast understatement to say that Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having a great NBA season. And right now, he’s having the best part of this great season so far.

On February 5th, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 50 points and led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 140-109 trouncing of the Phoenix Suns in Oklahoma City. It was his third game of 50 or more points in his last seven, which is only the ninth time in NBA history that feat has been accomplished. He score 54 against the Utah Jazz on January 22nd and 52 against the Golden State Warriors on January 29th. It should be pointed out that making free throws is an important part of scoring 50 or more, at least for Shai. He sank 11 of 12 against Phoenix, 17 of 18 against Utah, and 18 of 21 against Golden State. Gilgeous-Alexander is a 90% free throw shooter on the season, fifth best in the league, and he leads the NBA in free throws made per game at 7.7.

Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging a league leading 32.8 points per game; he’s been running neck and neck all season with Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo for the points per game lead. The Thunder (40-9) lead the Western Conference by six games over Memphis. OKC will be at Memphis on February 8th (after a stop in Toronto on the 7th), and the two will clash twice in March. The Thunder won the season’s first game against the Grizzlies back on December 29th.