Gilgeous-Alexander’s 45-Point Clinic Steers OKC To Comeback Win Over Indiana

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Without any doubt, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has evolved into a bonafide superstar.

In a grueling road game against the Indiana Pacers, the Canadian stalwart showcased his deep offensive bag and helped the Oklahoma City Thunder pull off the come-from-behind win, 120-114, in the ongoing NBA regular season on December 27, 2024.

Oklahoma was down by as much as 15 points in the first half but SGA willed his team down to the wire, burying several go-ahead crucial baskets that extended their NBA winning streak to nine straight wins.

It wasn’t the start that the Thunder hoped for the Pacers ran them over with their flare screens, leading to several wide-open three-pointers from both corners of their floor.

Indiana relied on what was efficient, and they kept on running the same play for the rest of the first half. However, Oklahoma deployed quick defensive adjustments in the final two quarters, countering with a soft 1-2-2 scheme that caught the Eastern Conference squad by surprise.

Oklahoma wasn’t done switching zones, as they also manned the paint better with a 2-3 scheme, limiting the touches of Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner until the final buzzer sounded.

With the defensive adjustment already all set for the Thunder, SGA then kicked off a massive turnaround midway through the third after hitting a barrage of three-pointers and contested perimeter jumpers.

It was in the fourth where SGA put the nail in the coffin after entering beast mode on the offensive side as he single-handedly answered every Indiana basket in the final five minutes of the ball game.

Unfortunately for the Pacers, their once waxing hot offensive performance turned cold in the most crucial stretch of the fourth.

SGA was spectacular on the road, dropping his second 45-point performance of the season built from an efficient 15/22 shooting from the field.

The Canadian guard only missed a single attempt from deep, and capped off the sweet night with a perfect 11/11 shooting from the charity stripe.

Aside from his usual offensive numbers, SGA also provided the intangibles, tallying a near triple-double stat-line of eight assists, seven rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.

Backstopping SGA was Jaylen Williams, Oklahoma’s uprising power forward, with an all-around outing of 20 markers, five dimes, and four boards.

The Thunder will aim to rake its 10^th consecutive victory on December 29, 2024, as they take on LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets in another inter-conference showdown.