Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Gets Praised for Being ‘Foul Artist’ as OKC Dismantle wolves

Former NBA coach Michael Malone had an interesting take regarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his ability to bait fouls from the refs.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Gets Praised for Being ‘Foul Artist’ as OKC Dismantle wolves

Michael Malone and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Image by FirstSportz)

The statement made by former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone following Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals was the most talked-about topic in this week. Malone surely turned a few heads when he chose the Thunder star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, over his former Denver Nuggets player, Nikola Jokic. Now, the former Nuggets head coach has come up with another take on ESPN.

Malone has been working with ESPN as an analyst for this ongoing OKC Thunder vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves series. This time around, he criticized Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for receiving calls that were in his favor from the referees. Additionally, he termed Shai a ‘foul artist’, agreeing with current Nuggets coach David Adelman.

Despite Malone calling out SGA for his foul-baiting, it did not completely look like criticism. Instead, it looked more like praising SGA’s ability to draw in foul in today’s game.

You think about trying to guard the best offensive players in the league these days, it becomes almost impossible. A lot of times, offensive players like Shai will initiate the contact or hook his arm looking to draw that contact. He (SGA) is a foul artist.

Michael Malone said

One may easily attribute the Thunder’s domination to SGA’s free-throw stats. In actuality, though, he is doing admirably and scoring a lot of points without the charity shots. He scored 20 points in Game 1 and 25 points tonight despite making no free throws. Only SGA’s scoring is aided by the free throws. He may be one of the best in foul-baiting this season, but that is not the main aspect of the game.

Offensively, SGA has been one of the most consistent players this season. Snatching an MVP award away from a serial winner like Nikola Jokic is no easy task. SGA did it. In addition, he dropped 38 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds in a 118-103 win on Thursday.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander achieves a unique feat in the Game 2 win over the Timberwolves

In NBA history, teams with a home-court advantage with a 2-0 lead in the Conference Finals have won the series 76 times out of 82. Despite the intense feelings of the award ceremony, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had just won the MVP trophy the previous evening, led the charge with 38 points and a composed effort.

In addition to this, SGA also achieved a unique feat after dropping more than 20 points in this game. With this performance, SGA becomes the first player with three straight +20 points playoff games since 2020. Something one would expect from the 2025 NBA MVP.

Apart from this, by keeping the Timberwolves to little more than 100 points and containing the Wolves’ offensive threats, the Thunder’s defense played a critical role. Despite difficult shooting streaks, coach Mark Daigneault also commended the team’s offensive effectiveness.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander praised teammate Lu Dort for making the All-NBA defensive first team

The Oklahoma City Thunder have had a hectic few days. Lu Dort and Jalen Williams were named to the All-Defensive Teams, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was declared the 2024–25 MVP winner as the NBA awards were being presented in full. Dort and Williams showcased why they deserved to be selected in the all-defensive first team after their performance in Game 2 of the WCF Finals.

In addition, SGA also praised Dort for his achievement.

Nothing has made me happier this year in terms of our team. Lu’s been what he’s been this year his whole career and for him to like finally get the recognition that he deserves is very special.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said

SGA emphasized the significance of finishing halves effectively, and the Thunder’s ability to close quarters strongly was clear. Moreover, the Thunder’s ability to bounce back from setbacks this season was highlighted by coach Daigneault in the post-match presser.

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