Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Praised For OKC Thunder Success Amid Scoring Streak

Over the last 127 regular season games that Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has participated in, not only has he logged 20-or-more points in all of them to break Wilt Chamberlain's 63 year record for the most consecutive games of hitting that point total but the Thunder have consistently won. In this span, the Thunder are 103-24.

While this is an individual scoring record that Gilgeous-Alexander has surpassed, it all happens within the floor of the offense. The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar is one of the best offensive engines in the league. He has a 33.4% usage percentage for this Thunder offense, commands the most attention from opposing defenses, is always playing in a crowd, and yet posts extreme efficiency as a scorer and doesn't turn the ball over.

With a scoring title, NBA MVP award, Western Conference Finals MVP award, and NBA Finals MVP award already in the bag, it is clear to see how Gilgeous-Alexander's fingerprints are all over winning. The four-time All-Star and soon-to-be four-time All-NBA guard is not only in line for his second NBA MVP award but has the chance to bring the Thunder to their third straight No. 1 seed in the Western Conference by season's end. No matter how you measure value, or winning, or a player, Gilgeous-Alexander checks all the boxes.

"Surgical with his craft. No one is more precise with their craft than he is. The whole life of the streak has not prevented us from having a ton of team success and hasn't prevented his teammates from having success either. So an individual streak that's about scoring has not come at the expense of the team or his teammates," Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault explained after Thursday's win over Boston. "Great father, great husband, great teammate, treats everybody in the building from top to bottom with dignity. He's obviously a great basketball player, but he's the kind of person that you couldn't be happier for when they accomplish something like this."

Gilgeous-Alexander echoes those same sentiments in the aftermath of rewriting the NBA history books.

"None of the things I accomplished would matter if we weren't winning, and I probably wouldn't have them if we weren't winning. I know that. I understand that," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "When you play and you're competitive, that's all that matters, and that's what the game is to me - the game I love. Just trying to go out there and win and do everything I can to win."

These are not just empty words. Later in his post-game press conference, Gilgeous-Alexander was asked why he passed to Alex Caruso in the final moments of Thursday's tilt with Boston. The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar did it in the name of winning.

"A double was on the way and I didn't want to just shoot a crazy shot and leave them time on the clock just in case. So I like tried to get it down to the last shot, and I just felt the double was going to come and [Alex Caruso] had a couple of opportunities I think he had Miami and Denver at home before it went to overtime, where they double off him and honestly I just trust him wholeheartedly like the guy makes big time plays and he's helped me win a championship and achieve my dreams," Gilgeous-Alexander described. "I saw them point to the guy across the court to come off of [Alex Caruso] so like I kinda knew where the ball was going to go and I wanted to give him another opportunity to make a play. We are going to need him when it's time and I know that."

His ability to read and react to defenses in real time, while also understanding the moment and making the right play for the sake of winning over having his moment with a potential fourth straight game winner is what makes Gilgeous-Alexander so special as a No. 1 option in charge or leading this championship caliber squad in Oklahoma City.

While Thursday felt like the finale, having past the big dipper in a record no one thought would be broken, the streak is still in tact. Gilgeous-Alexander can continue to grow his remarkable scoring run on Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.