‘MVP my a**’ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s whistle infuriates NBA fans in game 1

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is recently being called out by the NBA fans after his recent foul-baiting in Game 1 of the WCF Finals.

‘MVP my a**’ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s whistle infuriates NBA fans in game 1

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Image by FirstSportz)

OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was at the forefront of his side’s attack against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the WCF Finals. However, SGA did struggle in the first half of the game, with the Timberwolves doing well to keep him quiet. Given that, the 2nd half was different, with SGA bouncing back for his side.

Notably, SGA drew in numerous fouls in his favor, frustrating the Wolves players, their head coach and also the fans in general. In addition, the Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was irritated with SGA’s repeated foul calls from the referees. He was so irritated by the referee’s rulings in favor of SGA that he was given a technical for his reactions.

Now, SGA is tipped to win the NBA MVP award ahead of the Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. That is because Shai and his side won the important Game 7 matchup against Jokic and the Thunder. However, SGA’s Game 1 performance has not left the NBA community sold on him. His foul calls have raised questions among the fans, raising questions about the Thunder star being ‘too soft.’

In the second half, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 of his 31 points. He also had nine assists. He made eight out of fourteen field goals after halftime. SGA also scored 11 points following 13 foul draws. However, one foul call was successfully challenged, making it 12 fouls on him. The Timberwolves’ HC Chris Finch was also questioned regarding the ‘foul calls.’

Finch, who has vocally advocated his frustrations regarding SGA’s ability to draw in fouls earlier in the season, ignored the questions this time around. Finch stated that his side ‘need to get on with the next play mentality’ after the game.

NBA fans left frustrated with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s foul calls

Throughout the season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has performed admirably for his side, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the league. So much so that he is on the verge of claiming his first-ever NBA MVP award in his career, showcasing his impact on the side. However, his ability to draw in soft fouls is not something the fans admire him for.

This aspect of his game was at full display in Game 1 of the WCF Finals against the Timberwolves, leaving fans annoyed in the process. Many of them took to various social media apps and sites to put forward their views on this matter.

One Nuggets fan was visibly frustrated with SGA being the top contender for the MVP award. He wrote on X, “Lol, Jamal didn’t get any of those fouls. And I don’t even want to talk about how they guarded Jokic…this league is a joke. Yeah MVP my a**” Check out some of the reactions below:

The fans’ frustrations seem justified, mostly because throughout this NBA season, the officiating has been poor, altering the result of crucial games. With SGA being awarded fouls, rival fans are getting frustrated because their players weren’t awarded any. That said, it will be interesting to watch how the officials tackle this issue going forward into the playoffs.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sent out a clear warning to his Thunder teammates regarding Anthony Edwards

If there is one player that can make a huge difference apart from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in this ongoing WCF Finals, it is the Timberwolves star man Anthony Edwards. SGA knows this. He is vary of the threat Edwards possess and made his case clear after winning Game 1. SGA sent out a clear warning to his teammates after the game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said, “Good player though. He’ll play better than he played tonight. It’s a long series. We just got to be ready for whatever.”

Edwards and the Timberwolves know that they have a hge task upon them to overcome the 1st seed Thunder side. However, if any side can topple the Thunder, its the Timberwolves! They did it in February and will be hoping to do the same going forward in the series. It remains to be seen how this situation unfolds in the coming days.

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