The Oklahoma City Thunder won a league-best 68 games in the regular season, led by NBA MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the superstar point guard is certainly looking to ride his hot hand to a championship.
Well, the Thunder seemed to have met their match in the second round of the playoffs, losing Game 1 to the Denver Nuggets. In their Game 1 loss, Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists on 12-26 shooting, but he did not let Oklahoma City suffer the same fate in Game 2.
SHAI LOST AARON GORDON pic.twitter.com/isdmOBbDEr
— 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒆 🌩 (@Three_Cone) May 8, 2025
Not only did the Thunder set the NBA record for most points in a half in playoff history with 87 in Wednesday’s Game 2, but Gilgeous-Alexander put together a historic performance.
Gilgeous-Alexander ended his night after just three quarters due to an unmountable lead, but his three-quarter performance was off the charts. In just 30 minutes of action, Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 34 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists on hyper-efficient 11-13 shooting from the field and 11-11 from the free-throw line.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished his night with a +51 plus/minus, the highest mark in a playoff game in NBA play-by-play history.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 2:
33 PTS (30 MIN)
8 AST
11-13 FG
+51 (!!)The highest +/- in a playoff game in the play-by-play era. pic.twitter.com/RiFeRyBkn7
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 8, 2025
The record was previously held by LeBron James, Desmond Bane, and Jimmy Butler, who each reached a +46 in their respective games. Gilgeous-Alexander continues to cement his 2024-25 campaign in the record books, especially as he does this against three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and company.
The Thunder tying the series at 1-1 was certainly expected, but as they head back to Denver for Games 3 and 4, the Nuggets remain in a good position despite the blowout.
