SGA’s wild start to season has included 2 double OT wins, personal & national bests
The reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder and MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have seen their title defense get off to an interesting — and exhausting — start.
And they have two wins to show for it, first on opening night Tuesday against the Houston Rockets and then against the Indiana Pacers — their foe in last year’s NBA Finals — on Thursday. It’s the first time in league history that a team has played back-to-back games in double overtime to start a season.
“I’m tired, but it’s expected,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, according to a report by ESPN, after setting a career high with 55 points. in Thursday’s 141-135 victory against the Pacers in Indianapolis. “It’s a good way to break the ice on the season, shake the rust off, kind of bust the lungs up, get my cardio back.”
Gillgeous-Alexander’s 55 points also tied fellow former Kentucky Wildcats star Jamal Murray for the most NBA points scored by a Canadian.
He played 45 minutes Thursday after scoring 35 points in 47 minutes in Tuesday night’s 125-124 win against the Rockets.
“The difference in home-court advantage in the playoffs could be one game and one win,” Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN about playing so many minutes in back-to-back games. “We know firsthand home court in the playoffs is very helpful, especially when you go seven games. So we don’t ever want to take an opportunity for granted.”
