Thunder star scores career-high 54 points vs. Jazz

NBA MVP anyone?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reached a milestone that has eluded him in his seven years in the league. He finally hit the big 5-0. The big 5-4 in fact, scoring 54 points in just over 37 minutes on the floor Wednesday night.

As the Oklahoma City Thunder, who held off the Utah Jazz 123-114, continue their stronghold on the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed, Gilgeous-Alexander has been turning heads with his All-Star play.

Even more eye-popping, Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t fare well from the 3-point line, hitting just three of 10 attempts.

And he didn’t stop at 54 points. He also pulled down eight rebounds, dished five assists, had three steals and added two blocks.

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As the NBA prepares to announce the All-Star Game starters Thursday night, Gilgeous-Alexander’s name is sure to be called. But for the 6-6 shooting guard, the biggest accolade may finally be within his grasp – MVP.

He finished fifth in voting in 2023 and second last season. If he wins, it would mark the seventh year in a row the award has gone to an international player.

Gilgeous-Alexander has had chances to reach 50 points before, but would opt to pass or concentrate on his defense instead of pursuing the mark. In some games, he has sat out the fourth quarter in an effort to keep him fresh for the long grind of an 82-game season.

“It’s more of a mentality thing,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I think this season I’ve taken a leap in my mental. In the past, I’ve been hyper focused on efficiency, and in moments I would — not defer, but I would be conscious of it, and I think it would like affect my decision making. And this year, I think I’ve got over the hump of not worrying about efficiency.

“Like, I’m just playing.”