Shai Gilgeous-Alexander haters won’t like his new NBA FT record

The The Oklahoma City Thunder are off to a historic start to the 2025-26 NBA season.and much of the credit goes to the ruling MFA Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In a double-overtime thriller against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, SGA set a new career high with 55 pointssurpassing his previous best of 54 points scored last January against the Utah Jazz. He also added eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block in 45 minutes of play.

The main highlight of Gilgeous-Alexander’s performance is his mastery at the free throw line. He finished the game 15-of-31 on 23-of-26 free throws, a new career high for both free throws made and attempted in one game.

These numbers contributed to another record: SGA now holds the record for most free throws attempted in a two-game span to start the season, with 40 combined tackles over the Thunder’s first two games, according to ClutchPoint’s Tomer Azarly. This surpasses previous standards set by NBA legends like Bob Lanier and Wilt Chamberlain, who made 38 free throws in the same span.

In today’s NBA, drawing fouls and living at the free throw line is a valuable skill, but it doesn’t always win over fans. Gilgeous-Alexander has mastered this craft to consistently put himself in scoring position. Despite being one of the league’s top talents, Gilgeous-Alexander often faces criticism, often referred to as a “free throw merchant” on social media. He led the NBA with 601 free throws made last season, surpassing James Harden’s 505 and Trae Young’s 491 by a wide margin.

Oklahoma City has now gone to double overtime in each of its first two games, winning both, a feat never before accomplished in NBA history. In the season opener, the Thunder defeated the Houston Rockets 125-124 in double overtime, and SGA scored 35 points on 10-for-14 shooting from the field and 10-for-14 from the free throw line in 47 minutes.

Oklahoma City defeated the Pacers 141-135 on Thursday in a rematch of last summer’s NBA Finals, when the team won its first championship since moving from Seattle. Gilgeous-Alexander scored nine points in the second overtime to put the score beyond doubt and become the first player in franchise history to record five 50-point games, tying Russell Westbrook’s franchise mark. Playing 92 minutes over two games, SGA was unstoppable early in the season.

The supporting cast was also key. Ajay Mitchell scored a record 26 points, Aaron Wiggins added 23, and Chet Holmgren had 15 points and 12 rebounds. The Thunder made a collective 45 of 51 free throws, dominating a game that featured 70 fouls and 91 total free throws.

Indiana’s Benedict Maturin led his team with 36 points and 11 rebounds, while Pascal Siakam contributed 32 points and 15 rebounds. The Pacers were missing Tyrese Halliburton and Myles Turner, and lost Andrew Nembhardt to a shoulder injury in the second quarter.

After a day off, the Thunder will hit the road to face the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, followed by a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday before returning home.