Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Makes NBA History Despite Game 7 Loss to Spurs
The Oklahoma City Thunder fell short of their goal of returning to the NBA Finals, losing 111-103 to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night.
One of the few bright spots for Oklahoma City was back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who left everything on the floor and finished with a game-high 35 points on 12-of-21 shooting. He also added nine assists, four rebounds, and three steals.
Ultimately, it wasn’t enough. Outside of Gilgeous-Alexander, much of the Thunder’s production came from Cason Wallace, who scored 17 points while filling in for the injured Jalen Williams, and the bench, which combined for 37 points.
Despite the loss, Gilgeous-Alexander still made NBA history. He joined Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James as the only players since 2000 to make at least 125 free throws in back-to-back postseasons.
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In the Western Conference Finals alone, Gilgeous-Alexander attempted 65 free throws and missed just four, further showcasing his efficiency from the line.
He finished the series averaging 25.9 points, 8.9 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting 40.9% from the field and 93.8% from the free-throw line.
The Thunder also had to navigate Game 7 without Williams, who was sidelined by a lingering hamstring injury, as well as Ajay Mitchell, who missed the final three games of the series. Their absences clearly impacted Oklahoma City’s offensive consistency against a deep Spurs team.
As for Gilgeous-Alexander, he’s already focused on improving this summer and has full confidence in general manager Sam Presti to handle the roster.
"I will give zero input," Gilgeous-Alexander said when asked about potential offseason moves. "I will let Sam Presti, the greatest GM ever, do his job."
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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 11:00 AM.