What Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 10-for-10 heater proves about his game

Persistence and discipline were key when things started off awry for All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder. After missing the Thunder’s gutsy 21-point comeback win on the road, Gilgeous-Alexander missed his first five shots. The Miami Heat sprinted to a nine-point lead before Shai went a perfect 10-for-10 from the floor amidst a game-defining 15-0 Thunder run, as Oklahoma City cruised to a 124-112 win.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault addressed Gilgeous-Alexander’s consistentency, and how it rubbed off on the rest of his teammates in their disciplined approach that led to outscoring the Heat 39-26 in the third quarter.

“He’s always the same guy. He’s got unbelievable consistency, which is really the challenge for any team, but a challenge for us lately because we’ve shot the ball really poorly over an eight-to-ten game stretch from three,” Daigneault said. “And, on a lot of those, we’ve gotten really good shots. Our shot quality in the last ten games has been better than in the first 30.

“And yet, we haven’t shot it well. You gotta have the persistence and the discipline, and the belief to stay with it. He’s got that individually. I thought we had that tonight as a team.”

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting, including two threes, eight assists, and five rebounds. Jalen Williams had 18 points on an efficient 9-for-13, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals, and Chet Holmgren added 16 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks.

The Thunder scored 39 points off 23 turnovers, while shooting at a 51% clip from the floor to the Heat’s 53% shooting, including 53% (17-of-32) from deep. Oklahoma City’s defense turned out to be the difference in the game, which led to outscoring Miami by 13 points in the third quarter.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drops bars after Thunder win

Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sent the Jazz into overtime in his previous outing before returning for Sunday’s win against the Heat. After the hard-fought win, Gilgeous-Alexander said his approach never wavers, which allows him to settle into critical moments with ease, and calm.

“It’s definitely a work ethic. It’s also a mindset. Tonight I made the shot. I’ve missed the shot in many situations,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I think once the athlete — me in this situation — understands whether you make or miss, tomorrow I’m going to have to do whatever is necessary to get better, and get ready for the next game. Whether I make or miss, it seems big. But in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t really change much.

“And I think having that mindset, as well as the confidence in your game, takes the weight of the moment off your shoulders. And I think the clutchest players in the history of sports understand that, and that’s what makes them who they are,” Gilgeous-Alexander concluded.

The Thunder will host the Spurs at the Paycom Center on Tuesday.

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