Gilgeous-Alexander’s 52-Point Game Ends in Thunder Loss to Warriors

SAN FRANCISCO — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s second career 50-point game in four nights ended in disappointment as the Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Golden State Warriors 116-109 on Wednesday night at Chase Center. Despite Gilgeous-Alexander’s 52-point performance, the Western Conference-leading Thunder couldn’t secure the win.

“It sucks. Me personally, I play to win,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Winning comes first and foremost, and if I don’t win, I am not satisfied. So maybe my 52 points tonight wasn’t in the best interest of the team.”

Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s scoring leader at 32.5 points per game, became the first player this season with multiple 50-point games. He joined Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as the only players in Thunder history to achieve this feat in a single season. He shot 16-of-29 from the field and 18-of-21 from the free-throw line, setting a career-high in free-throw attempts.

Warriors forward Draymond Green praised Gilgeous-Alexander’s performance, saying, “He’s cold. He’s tough. He can score at all three levels; he gets to the foul line and he doesn’t stop. The whole game he’s at you. … We did the best we can.”

The Thunder (37-9) started strong, with Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 21 points in the first quarter on 7-of-8 shooting, helping Oklahoma City build a 14-point lead. However, the Warriors’ defense adjusted, and the Thunder struggled to maintain their momentum, shooting just 37.3% in the final three quarters.

Thunder forward Jalen Williams, who scored 26 points, admitted to being mesmerized by Gilgeous-Alexander’s play. “Sometimes, even when you’re out there, you kind of get caught watching,” Williams said. “Because he’s getting to places on the floor that you shouldn’t be able to with how the defense is guarding him.”

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault acknowledged the challenge of balancing Gilgeous-Alexander’s dominance with team play. “There’s probably a tendency in those situations where he’s just humming [to get caught watching Gilgeous-Alexander],” Daigneault said. “But we also have an identity as a team. We have to be that team regardless of context.”

With the Thunder struggling, Daigneault shortened Gilgeous-Alexander’s rest in the fourth quarter, bringing him back with 9:55 remaining. Warriors coach Steve Kerr joked about the move, saying, “I asked Mark to just leave him on the bench for a couple of more minutes, and he did not comply.”

Despite Gilgeous-Alexander’s late efforts, the Warriors (24-23) pulled away in the final minutes. “I’ll watch the game over, see where I could have been better, and trying to win the game is most important for me,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “This doesn’t feel nearly as good as the other [50-point performance] did because of the L.”