Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Urges Patience Against Victor Wembanyama After Game 1 Loss

Heading into Game 1, the Oklahoma City Thunder had momentum after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received his second MVP trophy in front of the home crowd. But by the end of the night, the Thunder star was instead discussing the challenge of scoring against one of the NBA's best defenders right now, Victor Wembanyama.

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the defending NBA champions 122-115 in a thrilling double-overtime contest. While he may not have won the MVP award, Wembanyama was clearly the best player on the court, finishing with 41 points and 24 rebounds. Meanwhile, SGA scored 24 points in the loss, while Alex Caruso added 31 points from the bench.

Following the loss, the two-time MVP spoke to the media and gave his 7-foot-4 rival his flowers. SGA was asked how difficult it is to shoot over Wemby, to which he responded, "it's obviously challenging." The 27-year-old further added, "He's very tall, very long and he deters a lot of things at the rim. You've got to be smart when you go in there."

Shai pointed out that the key is to remain patient while also being aggressive and avoiding timid play. He said, "I think you get caught worrying about it too much and you lose aggression, and that's when they really get a stranglehold on the game. You've got to be able to be aggressive but also be smart."

The Thunder guard explained that overthinking Wembanyama's impact can actually make things worse offensively. Both players have been the leaders of their respective teams. While Wemby lost the MVP race to SGA, he did win the Defensive Player of the Year award. And scoring against such a defender is evidently difficult.

Wembanyama has openly shared his desire to win the MVP award multiple times during his career. Still only in his third NBA season, the 22-year-old has already shown signs of being a franchise leader and creating a winning culture. His Game 1 performance alone highlighted just how promising his future can be.

The Spurs also seem to have the formula to beat the Thunder, having defeated them four times in five meetings during this season's regular campaign. However, SGA knows how to bounce back stronger and will look to deliver another MVP-caliber performance in Game 2.

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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 7:01 AM.