Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 47 points to guide the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 114-110 overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons on Monday at Paycom Center. The reigning MVP made 12 of 19 field goals and 21 of 25 free throws, extending his NBA record for consecutive 20-point games to 136.
After the game, Gilgeous-Alexander emphasized his approach in crunch time. “I try to just like play within the game, do whatever the game’s telling me. Tonight, I just felt like I needed to go take it. I needed to go be aggressive. I need to go make plays. I need to score the ball specifically,” he said.
Oklahoma City built a 79-74 lead entering the fourth quarter, but Detroit rallied, with Daniss Jenkins hitting a 3-pointer to put the Pistons ahead 97-90 with under four minutes remaining. Gilgeous-Alexander responded with six straight points to cut the deficit and credited his teammates for key baskets. “They both stepped into big shots, made big plays and hats off to them,” he said, referring to Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso.
Regarding late-game decision-making, the Thunder star added, “There’s always a balance. I just have trust in my teammates. I see the work every day… if he’s open, he’s going to shoot it like he’s made 10 in a row no matter what. That’s what I appreciate about AC.”
Gilgeous-Alexander also described the final moments before overtime. “I had five minutes to go win the basketball game. That’s what it was about. I wanted the shot because the game probably would have been over and I wanted to win and go home. Didn’t get the chance. So, I had five more minutes to make sure we won and went home tonight. We got the job done.”
Detroit, missing four of their five regular starters, kept pace behind Paul Reed’s 21 points and 10 rebounds, Javonte Green’s 19 points, and Kevin Huerter’s 17 points. Cade Cunningham remained sidelined with a collapsed lung, while All-Star Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris missed due to injuries.
The victory marked the Thunder’s 60th win of the season, making them the first team in the league to reach that milestone and the first Oklahoma City squad to win 60 games in back-to-back seasons. Their 15th win in 16 games keeps them two games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs atop the Western Conference.
When asked about the MVP race, Gilgeous-Alexander remained modest. “I let my game do the talking,” he said. “There’s a lot of good players in this league, and a lot of guys in the conversation because of that. I’m good.”
Oklahoma City will host the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, while Detroit travels to face the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.
