OKC Thunder Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Nearing 30 Points Against Every Opposing NBA Team
After earning his first All-Star and All-NBA nods in 2022-23, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having an even better campaign in the 2023-24 season.
In addition to helping a young Thunder team work its way to the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.2 points, 6.5 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 steals and one block per game while shooting 54.6% from the field and 37.4% from beyond the arc.
In 62 games this year, the 25-year-old has topped 30 points 47 times, tying Kevin Durant's OKC record for most 30-point performances in a single season. Gilgeous-Alexander has been consistent on offense no matter who Oklahoma City is matching up against, as the Kentucky product has scored 30 or more points against 25 teams in 2023-24.
If SGA can score at least 30 points against the Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks, Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers in the Thunder's final stretch, he will have gone over the 30-point mark against every opposing team in the NBA.
This week, the OKC star will have the chance to cross the Mavericks and Pacers off his list, as Mark Daigneault's team will welcome Dallas to town on Tuesday and the Pacers on Thursday.
Later in March, Oklahoma City will take on the Raptors and Bucks in consecutive games, both on the road. While March 22 will be the Thunder's final contest against Toronto this season, the game is in Gilgeous-Alexander's hometown, giving him even more reason to put on an impressive performance.
OKC will meet Indiana again on April 5 before welcoming Milwaukee to the Paycom Center a week later. Oklahoma City will close out the regular season on April 14 against Dallas, giving SGA two chances to top 30 points against the Pacers, Mavericks and Bucks.
In 2019, then-Rockets guard James Harden became the first player in NBA history to score at least 30 points against 29 other franchises in a single season. Both Larry Bird and Michael Jordan topped 30 against every team in the league, but the NBA had just 22 squads when the two legends accomplished the feat.
Since Harden's historic season, no player has been able to score 30 or more points against every team in the league in a single season, giving Gilgeous-Alexander the opportunity to add an impressive accolade to his MVP resume.
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