Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Joins Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant on Historic List

Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having a great postseason
Mar 23, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives
Mar 23, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Almost every single list in Oklahoma City Thunder franchise history contains two names: Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. As Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to ascend, his name is slowly joining some of these lists. With his third-straight 30-point game in these playoffs, Gilgeous-Alexander joined Westbrook and Durant as the third player in franchise history with three-straight 30-point games in the playoffs.

More importantly than the 30-point night from Gilgeous-Alexander was the win for Oklahoma City in this game that tied the series at 2-2 with the Dallas Mavericks. 

Trailing for most of the night, Oklahoma City was able to execute down the stretch and pick up a massive victory to tie the series. Game 5 will be played in Oklahoma City, where the home crowd will be electric. One of the best home court advantages in basketball, Oklahoma City will look to take a 3-2 lead when they host Dallas in Game 5. 

The winner of this series will play the winner of the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets series that is also currently tied 2-2. Both Western Conference Semi-Finals matchups have been a lot of fun, and the eventual Western Conference Finals should be no different.

This is the first playoff run Gilgeous-Alexander has had as a number one option, and he is proving to be more than capable of handling that responsibility.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.