Inside The Thunder

Luka Doncic Issues Praise For Thunder Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks went toe to toe on Tuesday in the NBA Cup quarterfinals. The Thunder saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander outduel Luka Doncic in this contest. The Mavericks superstar spoke glowingly of Gilgeous-Alexander post-game.

Rylan Stiles

May 11, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) controls the ball as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) defends during the second half during game three of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
May 11, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) controls the ball as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) defends during the second half during game three of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
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Oklahoma City punched its ticket to Vegas on Tuesday night with a 118-104 win over the Dallas Mavericks. The Thunder saw a jaw-dropping game from its superstar, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The MVP candidate for the third straight year posted 39 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block. The Thunder star went 5-for-9 from beyond the arc, shooting 65 percent from the floor.

He was head and shoulders above Luka Doncic, who could not escape the clutches of Lu Dort and the hounding Thunder defenders. The Mavericks star turned in just 16 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, four steals and shot a lowly 5-for-15 from the floor.

After the game was over, Doncic gave a glowing appraisal of Gilgeous-Alexander. These two stars are extremely familiar with one another after battling it out in the postseason a year ago. A series in which the Mavericks won in six games.

"Overall, he is a great scorer. Gets his teammates involved. Just, a lot of times it is hard to stop him. I think at some point, you have to send two to three players [to defend him]. I mean, it is amazing to play against a guy like this. Just the battles, It is fun. He is an amazing player," Doncic said of Gilgeous-Alexander.

Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the toughest players in the league to defend, due to his ability to get to his spot at will. The Mavericks and the rest of the NBA are used to that by now.

Oklahoma City now awaits the winner of Wednesday's Golden State Warriors-Houston Rockets tilt to find out its opponent for Saturday's semifinal game in the NBA Cup.

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Rylan Stiles
RYLAN STILES

Rylan Stiles is a credentialed media member covering the Oklahoma City Thunder. He hosts the Locked On Thunder Podcast, and is Lead Beat Writer for Inside the Thunder. Rylan is also an award-winning play-by-play broadcaster for the Oklahoma Sports Network. 

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