Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is the Undisputed Clutch Player of Year

The NBA MVP award can be debated, what can't be is the Clutch Player of the Year. That honor belongs to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Mar 29, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) walks down the court during the first half against the New York Knicks at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Sure, you can have debates about the NBA MVP award. After all, it happens every year. It is part of what makes the league great. The drama, the talking heads, and overflowing talent make it almost impossible to sift through who truly stands above the rest. The NBA, for as negative as the coverage can be at times, is in a great spot when it comes to the on-the-floor product.

As the NBA MVP race heats up, with Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is at the center of it, the Clutch Player of the Year award unquestionably belongs to the Oklahoma City point guard.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have the best in the league 60-16 record on the 2025-26 campaign. In the clutch, the Thunder have a 24-10 record, second-best winning percentage in the league, only behind the Los Angeles Lakers, who are 22-7.

Oklahoma City has the most points per game in the clutch, 11.5, in the NBA, tied for the top spot with the Denver Nuggets.

Of players that played in more than one game in the clutch, Gilgeous-Alexander leads the league in clutch points per game. He averages 6.5 points in that time with a total plus-minus of +93.

The Thunder superstar has 175 points, 21 assists against just seven turnovers in 125.1 minutes with a 20-7 record. Gilgeous-Alexander posts 51% from the floor, 35% from beyond the arc and 85% at the charity stripe.

Oklahoma City can rely on Gilgeous-Alexander to get them out of a jam late in games. Especially as their lone bucket getter down the stretch of some of these games, as his No. 2 scoring option, Jalen Williams, has only been active for 30 games this season.

Over the last two weeks, Gilgeous-Alexander has turned in a jaw-dropping 11-for-11 shooting from the floor in clutch time. He has been key in lifting the team to wins against the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons this week alone.

Most recently on Monday against Detroit, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 11 straight points in the clutch, a 13-point final frame and eight more points tallied in overtime. This after he scored 10 straight down the stretch of Sunday's win over the New York Knicks.

While this award is still new, only around since 2022-23, the honors have been given to De'Aaron Fox, Steph Curry and Jalen Brunson. The Thunder will have their first clutch player of the year by season's end.