Story & Photos

By Michael Kinney

Even though there are fewer than two left in the NBA regular season, that may feel like an eternity for the Oklahoma City Thunder. If it were up to them, the postseason would start this week.

That is because the Thunder are not only playing their best basketball of the season, but they are making the games look easy. No matter who has stepped on the court with them in the past month, Oklahoma City proceeded to run roughshod over almost every opponent. Their last loss came March 10 against Denver.

Their latest victim came in the form of a gritty Detroit Pistons squad that rolled into town Wednesday on the second night of a back-to-back. Playing on national TV and with Commissioner Adam Silver in attendance, the league was looking to showcase two young and up-and-coming squads.

However, Detroit picked the wrong night to be without guard Cade Cunningham (bruised calf), center Isaiah Stewart (suspension), Ron Holland II (suspension) and guard Marcus Sasser (suspension).

The Pistons tried to keep from getting run off the court. After being down double digits in the first quarter, the visiting team only trailed 65-59 at halftime.

But as they have done all season, the Thunder flipped a switch in the second half and pulled away for a 119-103 victory.

MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 33 points. Chet Holmgren was in his bag as he posted 22 points, 11 rebounds, six blocked shots, four assists and two steals.

MVP race tightens?

On the same night Gilgeous-Alexander put up a solid 33-point performance, his main contender for the MVP was going historic. Denver’s Nikola Jokic put up 61 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists on 62/55/79 shooting from the field, in what was the highest-scoring triple-double in NBA history.

However, the monster night came during a 140-139 double overtime loss to Minnesota. It was a game in which Russell Westbrook fouled Nickeil Alexander-Walker on a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded, and Denver leading by one.

Despite that, Jokic’s performance had the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards voicing what most MVP voters are probably going through each week.

“That might have been the best game of my life that I’ve been a part of,” Edwards said. “Nikola Jokic, bruh. My God. He might be the best basketball player I’ve ever seen close-up, besides myself to myself. He’s incredible, bruh. The MVP race is tough. I don’t know.”

In January, Edwards had proclaimed Gilgeous-Alexander the MVP.

However, it isn’t like SGA has fallen off since then. Earlier in the week, Gilgeous-Alexander was named Western Conference Player of the Month for March. It was the third time he’s won the honor this season.

During March, Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to an NBA-best 15-1 record, including a perfect 7-0 road record. The 15 wins in March represent an all-time Thunder record for wins in a single month.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA in scoring during March with 34.7 points per game to go along with 7.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.14 steals. He is on pace to become the second player in NBA history to average 30-plus points on 50 percent shooting to go along with at least 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1 block [Michael Jordan (1987-88 and 1990-91)].

With just six games left in the regular season, there is not much left for the Thunder (64-12) to play for. With a 14-game lead on Houston (50-27), they have wrapped up the top seed in the Western Conference. (The two teams face off Friday in Houston).

However, they only lead Cleveland (61-15) by three games for the overall best record. And the MVP race between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic could be decided in the final weeks.

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