Steve Kerr Doesn’t Blame Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Free Throws, He Blames The NBA Rules

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander free throws spark shocking reaction from Steve Kerr over the high number of free throws he has got in the league.

Steve Kerr Doesn’t Blame Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Free Throws, He Blames The NBA Rules

Steve Kerr on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 27 points, including 14 from free throws, leading the Thunder to a win over the Warriors.
  • Steve Kerr expressed concerns about NBA rules regarding free throws, stating he has no issue with SGA's play style.
  • The Golden State Warriors are struggling without Stephen Curry, holding a 5-8 record during his absence.

Reigning NBA Champion and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has not missed a beat since his return from injury. He has continued from where he left off prior to the abdominal strain. SGA led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a closely fought 104-97 victory over a Stephen Curry-less Golden State Warriors in their fourth and final meeting of the 2025-26 regular-season at the Paycom Center on Saturday night.

The win extended the defending champions’ winning streak to five games. They sit at the top of the Western Conference standings with a 50-15 record and are three games ahead of second-place, the San Antonio Spurs. Meanwhile, the loss dropped the Warriors’ record dropped to 32-31 as they find themselves at eighth place in the standings.

After a historic 2024-25 campaign where he won the championship, Finals MVP, regular-season MVP, and the scoring title, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on course to win it all once again.

Over the last three seasons, SGA has averaged 30+ points per game and is on track to make it four in a row this season. He is second in the league in scoring and is currently averaging 31.7 points per game. Many pundits and analysts believe his scoring numbers and efficiency put him in the same tier as Michael Jordan. He was coined as the ‘Michael Jordan of modern NBA‘ by former Boston Celtics legend, Paul Pierce.

While there is no doubt that the OKC are the best team in the league at the moment, they have been accused of having foul calls go in their favor more often than not. SGA is one of the few top scorers in the league that does not rely much on the three-point shot.

The star player relies more on the mid-range often draws free throws. However, his style of play has drawn criticism from fans, opposing players and coaches. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was asked about SGA shooting 15 free throws against the Warriors.

He’s incredibly clever. He knows exactly how to draw contact. It’s all within the rules. I don’t have a problem with Shai. I have a problem with the rules.

Steve Kerr said

SGA ended the night scoring a game-high 27 points, out of which 14 points came from the line. He is second in the league in free throw attempts this season with 9.3 per game and is behind only Luka Doncic, who leads the NBA in scoring.

Golden State Warriors continue to struggle without Stephen Curry

It has been over a month since Stephen Curry was last seen on the court for the Warriors. The Dubs have gone 5-8 during this period and 9-15 without Curry in the lineup, highlighting their struggles without their superstar.

Draymond Green was asked about Curry’s return to action in his post-match press conference after their win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night.

If his body allows him to get back, I know he will come back. He’s not wanting to just shut it down…Nobody’s expecting us to go on a 10-game win streak, but you just got to stay afloat (without him).

Draymond Green said after the game

With the Los Angeles Clippers just one game behind and breathing down their necks, the Warriors will be hoping to see their four-time champion back on court sooner rather than later.

Stephen Curry anticipates a big-time addition within the Dubs for next season

Before the trade deadline this year, the Warriors were heavily linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo. After Jimmy Butler was ruled out for the season, the Warriors needed to make a big move to help extend Curry’s championship window. But at the deadline, they agreed to trade Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for veteran center Kristaps Porzingis.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry
Warriors were looking to link Giannis Antetokounmpo with Stephen Curry (Image credits – ESPN)

In Willard & Dibs Show, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears dropped an interesting statement about Curry’s expectations for the Warriors next year.

He knows whether it’s a Giannis, whether it’s a LeBron James, there’s going to be somebody next summer that’s going to join him, join Jimmy, join Draymond, assuming he’s still there.

Marc J Spears said

Regardless of whether they are still planning to compete this year, the Dubs do not have what it takes to compete in the Western Conference this season. They are very likely to be in the play-in tournament and if they do make it to the playoffs, they will potentially face the Thunder or the Spurs in the first round.

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