Shai Gilgeous-Alexander smirks as ‘free throw merchant’ chants roar inside Timberwolves arena 

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous Alexander and his side fell short to a relentless Timberwolves side led by Anthony Edwards on Thursday.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander smirks as ‘free throw merchant’ chants roar inside Timberwolves arena 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The Minnesota Timberwolves recently played against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA. Now, with the Thunder leading the Western Conference, everyone had them winning this game. However, the NBA is full of surprises. This is because the Timberwolves got the better of the Thunder and their star man Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the Target Center by 116-101.

Surprisingly, just a day before the Timberwolves lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. Not only that, against the Thunder, they were without Mike Conley (dislocated finger), Julius Randle (right adductor strain), and Donte DiVincenzo (toe injury) and still beat them. Given that, the Timberwolves fan base did not allow SGA to settle on the court.

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During the second quarter, SGA was awarded free throws and fans went in at him by chanting “Free throw merchant’ towards him. SGA could not help but give a wide smirk to the fans courtside and players on the court. He did make the free throw. Notably, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has sunk the most free throws this season, with 402 made.

Rival fans always call him a ‘free throw merchant’ wherever the star plays away from home. As for the game, for the struggling Timberwolves, Naz Reid finished with 27 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists. With an outstanding effort, Anthony Edwards scored 23 points and Jaden McDaniels added 21 points to lead the Wolves (31-25) into the All-Star break.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reacts to Anthony Edwards’ recent remarks about him

Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves gave Oklahoma City Thunder player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a resounding vote of support for his effort to win NBA MVP this season. Edwards stated that SGA is ‘the MVP’ this season. The Thunder star was taken aback by Edwards’ remarks and offered a humble response lately.

The best satisfaction is when your peers recognize and respect your craft.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game

As he continues to make a compelling case for his first NBA MVP award, SGA has been relentless this season. With 32.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.0 blocks a game this season, he has impressive figures.

Gilgeous-Alexander has led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a league-best 44-10 record in his role as team captain. Under his leadership, the Thunder are looking like the real deal to contend for the 2025 NBA title this season. It will be interesting to watch how SGA and his side perform going forward into the 2024-25 NBA season.