Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s incredible efficiency leads OKC to a 17-1 start

Oloma Wherebi Yalama – Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a dominant starter into the 2025-26 campaign continued in another impressive performance in Sunday’s 122-95 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers. The defending champion Thunder avenged their only loss of the regular season to improve to 17-1, paced by Gilgeous-Alexander’s 37 points.

SGA scored 28 of its 37 points in the first half, adding nine points in the third quarter before taking a 28-point lead (96-68) into the fourth, a lead that fell to just one point in the final score. Through 18 games, Gilgeous-Alexander is astonishingly just minus-13 average a point for every minute played throughout the regular season, so far, according to Thunder sideline reporter Nick Gallo.

Shai now has 580 points in 593 minutes this season, Gallo said.

Gilgeous-Alexander went 13-for-18 from the floor, including 2-for-3 from deep and 9-for-9 from the free throw line in Sunday’s win. He also finished with seven assists and two steals. Ajay Mitchell scored 20 points on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting, leading the Thunder’s bench production, and Isaiah Joe added 10 points.

Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring — 17 points in the first quarter — the Thunder took a 39-18 lead at the end of the first frame, holding the Trail Blazers to 18 and then 22 points in the first and third quarters. Oklahoma City also did an excellent job of limiting Danny Avdia, who flirted with a triple-double (26 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists) in the Thunder’s only loss of the season in a Nov. 5 121-119 loss.

Avdija finished with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 1-for-8 from deep, five rebounds and one assist. The Thunder handed the Trail Blazers their fourth loss in five tries.

Mark Daigneault sets Thunder injury record

Thunder head coach Marc Daigneault addressed his team’s injury situation and whether his success, combined with his depth, is part of the reason why the defending champions have yet to see All-Stars Jaylen Williams and Kenrich Williams in action.

Before facing the Trail Blazers, Daigneault vehemently denied the idea of ​​the Thunder’s approach to their players’ injuries.

“These are all health decisions,” Daigneault said. “We’re always conservative. We’re always cautious about the health of our players. If we have to wait another day or another week, or another game, to get a more complete version of a player that’s more viable from a health standpoint, we’re always going to do that. Those decisions aren’t made about team performance or depth or anything like that.

“If we get guys out, we’re going to go all the way down our roster and play two-way guys. Those minutes have nothing to do with how we make health decisions with players,” Daigneault concluded.

The Thunder will take the next two days off before hosting the Timberwolves on Wednesday.