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Shai Gilgeous Alexander's Former Teammate Sends Heartfelt Message

LA Clippers legend Lou Williams had kind words about the MVP candidate
Colby Faria|
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) greets Grizzlies' Jaylen Wells (0) after the Thunder defeated the Grizzlies 117-115 in Game 4 to win the first-round NBA playoff series at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on Saturday, April 26, 2025.
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) greets Grizzlies' Jaylen Wells (0) after the Thunder defeated the Grizzlies 117-115 in Game 4 to win the first-round NBA playoff series at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on Saturday, April 26, 2025. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Los Angeles ClippersOklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder made a statement on Wednesday night.

After shockingly dropping Game 1 on Monday night, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder walloped the Denver Nuggets 149-106 and evened their Western Conference semifinals series at one game apiece.

The Thunder were led by their star and likely league MVP in Gilgeous-Alexander, who led all scorers with 34 points while shooting 11-13 from the field, which was good enough to be an NBA playoff record +51 while on the court.

Prior to his time with the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander was with the Los Angeles Clippers before being part of the trade that sent Paul George to LA back in 2019.

One of Gilgeous-Alexander's former Clippers teammates, Lou Williams broke down the Thunder's blowout Game 2 victory and admitted that games like Wednesday night are why he and some other former Clippers were upset when the club traded him to the Thunder six years ago.

"This is why we were sad when he got traded," Williams admitted. "We saw the potential in the player he was gonna become and this is who he is, this is a live look at who he is. He's up so many points, he's bored to the fact that he's ready to get on to the next game and continue hooping and continue whooping these guys out."

Williams then praised Gilgeous-Alexander's play in the Thunder's Game 2 victory, calling the MVP candidate's performance 'flawless.'

"He played a flawless game, last night...and not just him, his teammates, and everybody involved. It starts with him, he's the head of the snake, he's the leader of the troops and he went out there and led by example. He played with force from the tip...listen, this is what I like about OKC, they can score from the three-point line, they can score from the mid-range, they can get to the basket. and they take pride in playing defense."

Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, is the odds-on favorite to be named the NBA's Most Valuable Player this season. The three-time All-Star averaged 32.7 points per game to go along with 6.4 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per contest during the regular season, while leading the Thunder to an NBA-best 68-14 record.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexande
Apr 4, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) stands during the national anthem prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

With the series tied, the Thunder and Nuggets will head to Denver for Game 3 on Friday night with tip-off set for 10:00 p.m. EST.

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Colby Faria
COLBY FARIA

Colby’s decade-plus sports writing experience spans across the likes of various sports, which includes bylines at the likes of CBS and Bleacher Report.

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