OKC Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a layup in the first quarter of Game 2 against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. The reigning MVP bumped into Suns guard Collin Gillespie before falling to the floor. SGA bent his fingers the wrong way as he braced himself before hitting the ground.
The superstar point guard was in visible pain while holding his fingers. Despite the concern, he waved off Thunder coach Mark Daigneault and stayed in the game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished the first quarter with 11 points on 5-for-9 shooting. He seemed to have taken the injury scare well, but it remains to be seen if his fingers will become an issue as the game progresses.
Oklahoma City remains formidable if SGA misses time due to a potential injury. Against the eighth-seeded Suns, many will still favor the Thunder to win the series. Still, OKC will rather be in the playoffs with its franchise cornerstone available than be without him.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams Carrying the Thunder in Tight First-Half Contest Against Suns
Unlike in Game 1 on Sunday, when the Thunder bolted out of the gates to dominate the Suns in the series opener, Game 2 played out differently. After one quarter, OKC only held a 30-29 lead despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 11 points.
The home team started to pad its lead in the second quarter as Jalen Williams found his range. Williams helped carry the scoring load with SGA, who could still be seen holding his hand and wincing in pain.
The first half ended with the Thunder holding a 65-57 advantage. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting in 18 minutes and added three assists and two rebounds. Williams paced OKC in scoring with 19 points behind 7-for-8 efficiency, including 2 of 3 from behind the arc.
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