'Same Mindset': Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Closes Out Round 1 with Return to Form

The Oklahoma City Thunder star struggled with efficiency in his first three games against the Memphis Grizzlies but put the series to an end with a strong performance in Game 4.

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

Just as it did a year ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder got out of the first round in a four-game sweep.

Oklahoma City's meeting with the Memphis Grizzlies was a hardly a series — after the Thunder won by 51 points in Game 1, it was all but a wrap. Games 3 and 4 were rather close in the final score, but Ja Morant's injury sustained in Game 3 gave the Grizzlies little hope for the remainder of it.

This was all with a rather uncharacteristic stretch for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — averaging 24.3 points per game on 35.3% shooting from the field. While he was still getting similar looks as he had all season, his efficiency was far and away down.

Oklahoma City might have kept winning, but this couldn't continue to be a trend heading into the second round. So, Gilgeous-Alexander eliminated Memphis with fury.

In 38 minutes, Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 38 points, five rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block on 13-of-24 shooting from the field and 11-of-13 from the free-throw line. The high point total was back, and so too was efficiency.

"I just tried to be aggressive," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "The last few games I felt like I was still getting to my spots, the ball just didn't go through the hoop. Tonight the ball was going through the hoop ... I think since I kept the same mindset, it allowed me to play free."

With a player as dominant as Gilgeous-Alexander has been throughout a strong MVP campaign this year, eventually the shots were going to fall again. The rest of the Thunder's cast of players did enough to not rely on him for most of the series, but its leading man rose to the occasion to end the series for good on the road.

Regardless of whether it is the Denver Nuggets or LA Clippers in the next round, the competition is getting a whole lot tougher. Gilgeous-Alexander will need to be at his best, and Saturday's win showed a step forward in being that.

At this point, there's no need for Gilgeous-Alexander to change up his mindset. It worked in 68 out of 82 games in the regular season — with that rate, it shouldn't stop working now.