Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the 2023 Northern Star Award, given to the best Canadian athlete of the year, on Monday. The Thunder guard strengthened the argument for everyone who voted for him with an elite performance Saturday against the Denver Nuggets.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 25 points in a 118-117 Thunder victory over the defending NBA Finals champions from Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. What stood out most was one particular shot, as with one second left in the fourth quarter, the Toronto native made an eight-foot jump shot to give Oklahoma City the one-point win. The game-winning shot came seven seconds after Gilgeous-Alexander grabbed the defensive rebound following a missed three-point attempt by Nikola Jokic. In addition to the 25 points, Gilgeous-Alexander had eight assists, six rebounds and two steals and was +3.
For the 2023-24 season, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30.7 points per game, 6.4 assists per game, 5.5 rebounds per game and 2.7 steals per game. He has a field goal percentage of .542, a three-point percentage of .324 and a free throw percentage of .913.
With the win, the Thunder have 16 wins and eight losses. They are currently the second best team in the Western Conference. Only the Minnesota Timberwolves are better with 19 wins and five losses.
“Gamer. Introvert. Problem solver. Creator. Thinker. Lifelong food evangelist. Alcohol advocate.”