OKC Thunder Superstar Delivers MVP Performance in Fourth Quarter vs. Heat

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is already the MVP frontrunner, and he has added another chapter to his compelling case.

With only a couple of days until the All-Star break, the Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the Miami Heat on Wednesday in a night where every team in the league played. While the other 14 games had plenty of interesting storylines, the Thunder seemed to dominate the headlines.

Trailing for the first three quarters, Oklahoma City’s hopes of continuing its undefeated February were in real danger. Entering the fourth with a 10-point deficit, the Thunder needed to make a run they had been unable to make all night.

Of course, making a comeback is far from impossible for the league-leading Thunder. Although Gilgeous-Alexander’s most notable fourth-quarter stat is about him consistently not needing to play the final 12 minutes, he delivered a classic performance when his team needed it.

With a double-digit deficit to begin the fourth, Gilgeous-Alexander found Lu Dort out of a double team for a 3-pointer to begin a 24-0 run. The Thunder’s star scored off of Heat turnovers on the next two possessions, with a three and a dunk to cut the deficit to two.

With another Heat turnover, Dort tied the game in transition to set up another signature play of Gilgeous-Alexander’s season. After an Alec Burks miss at the rim, Gilgeous-Alexander nailed a stepback three to give Oklahoma City its first lead of the night.

The Thunder star would continue to make an impact over the next few minutes to build the lead. His tough fadeaway a possession later pushed the lead to five. Then, three 3-pointers courtesy of Isaiah Joe and Kenrich Williams extended the lead to 14, with Gilgeous-Alexander assisting on the last two.

With 1:31 left, he had another layup to give the Thunder a 12-point lead and effectively end the game after both teams went scoreless for nearly two and a half minutes. While the Thunder’s role players were key to their success defensively and nailed some big shots, the MVP favorite still put the team on his back and carried the Thunder across the finish line.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 14 points, two rebounds, four assists and a steal in the fourth quarter alone. That performance secured his 33rd 30-point game of the season, also finishing one assist shy of a double-double.

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