Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did not see action in the fourth quarter of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 120-96 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.
The loss was the first defeat of the Thunder this season. In the game, they missed Alex Caruso, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Nikola Topic, and Thomas Sorber.
Gilgeous-Alexander played just 28 minutes in the game. Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists as the team got blown out.
Gilgeous-Alexander sat out the entirety of the fourth quarter as the team got buried by double digits entering the final frame.
With what happened in the past few days for the Thunder, SGA’s benching caused some concern about his health.
Fortunately, there is nothing to be worried about, as Gilgeous-Alexander is healthy and he just sat out the fourth quarter to allow the bench players to get their reps against a solid team like the Mavericks.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Draws Lessons From Thunder’s 1st Loss In The Season
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has some key takeaways about the Thunder’s first loss. Overall, he wants to be better moving forward.
“I think there were multiple things. You have to be better on the glass. I’m obviously smaller out there now, so it’s a little more challenging, but we have to be tougher. That helps us get out there and play faster, too,” he said.
“Especially with guys down, I have to be better if we’re going to have a chance to win games. If we clean those two things up, the game looks a little different. But yeah, they were the ones who won.”
It was also the Thunder’s third game in four days and many things have happened since the first game last Sunday.
Thunder Still Deal With Emotions From Horrific Injuries
SGA talked about the emotions the team has been dealing with since the season-ending injuries of Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace.
It hasn’t been anything we haven’t experienced before. It’s part of it. It is what it is.
“I don’t feel any more drained, tired or stressed than I have at any other point in my career. It’s been a long season, but yeah, it’s been a season,” he said before talking about Williams and Wallace still talking to the team.
“I mean, we’re teammates, we’re brothers, we’re friends. We knew that was never going to leave us. It’ll be like that for the rest of our lives. Having those guys around is always good.”
Jalen Williams sustained a dislocated left ankle and a fractured left fibula, an injury requiring surgery that is expected to sideline him for several months and potentially the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Cason Wallace suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder, also necessitating surgery with a projected recovery timeline of roughly five to six months.
The Thunder are leaning on guard Ajay Mitchell and rookie Jared McCain to step up and shoulder the primary scoring load alongside superstar Gilgeous-Alexander.
The rotational strain has been worsened by short-term injuries to Caruso and Holmgren.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault has inserted center Isaiah Hartenstein and forward Kenrich Williams into an overhauled starting lineup, while also relying on deep bench options and rookies like Bennett Stirtz, Josh Dix, and Aday Mara to maximize their roster.
Why Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Did Not Play In The 4th Quarter vs Mavericks