Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on the cusp of reaching his fourth consecutive All-Star selection, and reflected on the honor ahead of the announced starters for this year’s game. Following a two-point loss (122-120) to the Miami Heat, Gilgeous-Alexander addressed the Thunder’s shortcomings in the loss.
Then, Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, revealed how much playing in the All-Star game means to him.
“It’s still as special as the first one was, honestly. I grew up watching All-Star games as a kid, dreaming about playing with them. So, to be able to play in them will always have that same feeling. All the players that I looked up to, that I emulated my game after, played in those games, and played on that stage. For me to be able to do so is a blessing and an honor.”
Leading this year’s MVP race, as he’ll look to be the first player to win it back-to-back since Denver Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic (2021-22), Gilgeous-Alexander was named a starter for the Western Conference.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander assigns blame in Thunder loss
The NBA’s L2M Report would support Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s controversial call versus the Heat that resulted in a turnover as an offensive foul down the stretch of a 122-120 loss. Still, Gilgeous-Alexander called for him and his team to do a better job cleaning the glass and taking back possessions amid defensive lapses.
“I would say rebounding for this one,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, when asked what stands out most from the loss. “When you give the other team more possessions and more chances to score, NBA players are gonna score. We didn’t turn them over tonight. So, we didn’t get the possessions back in the turnover battle. Then, they got the possessions on the rebounding battle. So, it’s like a double-plus for them, and I think it turned the game. But that’s on us.
“Me, personally, I don’t think I had any rebounds. So, we gotta find ways to end possessions.”
The Thunder took 34 fewer shots than the Heat.
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