OKC Thunder Hope Late-Season Rest Will be as Beneficial for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as it was Last Year

The MVP dominated the playoffs last year after a couple of games off, and hopefully that same recipe will work again.

Mar 30, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) gestures during the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s best is imperative in OKC’s championship run. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder have officially capped their regular season, winning 64 games in total. With the top seed in the West, as well as home court advantage for the entire playoffs already locked down, the Thunder sat out most of their key pieces in their final two bouts.

This, of course, includes Gilgeous-Alexander, as he got another game of much-earned rest, as he also sat out in OKC’s previous game. This isn’t a new recipe for success for the Thunder, as they followed the same formula last season with the MVP sitting out the last three games of the season to prepare for the playoffs. Following the same plan, Oklahoma City hopes that it will bring the same effect on the Thunder star’s play as it did last year. 

Gilgeous-Alexander tore up last year’s regular season, as he claimed his first-ever MVP award, but his play didn’t slow down in the playoffs. Out of the 23 games the Thunder played in the postseason on their way to their first title, Gilgeous-Alexander led the team in scoring in 19 of them. 

He averaged almost 30 points per game, ranking him third in postseason scoring averages, which is an incredible feat, considering the two players who recorded a higher average both were sent home in the first round, and had only played five games. 

The MVP rounded out his postseason resume last year with 5.3 rebounds and 6.5 assists, and was even active on the defensive side, swiping 1.7 steals per game. 

All of this would lead to Gilgeous-Alexander helping the Thunder push past the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, where he would be named the Finals MVP. 

Now, with another NBA postseason approaching, the Thunder are hoping Gilgeous-Alexander can showcase the same dominance once more. Due to the NBA Play-In Tournament, the Thunder don’t know who will await them for sure in the first round, but they are hoping that their star guard can lead them to another sweep just like last year. 

Oklahoma City has shown that it can still win games without Gilgeous-Alexander, but those games are definitely a lot harder to win. Hopefully, missing these two games to end the season gives the Thunder star enough rest to go full throttle for the entirety of the playoffs, because when Gilgeous-Alexander plays at his best, it takes an army to stop him.