Oklahoma City Thunder reclaim #1 seed with win over Toronto Raptors led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

It was a homecoming game for MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and he put on a show as he led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 123-103 victory over the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.

It’s been a competitive race for the #1 seed in the West and right now, it’s a back and forth battle between OKC and the Denver Nuggets. These teams are led by the front runners in the MVP race so whoever earns the top seed will most likely win the award. These teams are separated by less than a game, so every matchup matters because one loss can be significant in the standings.

SGA made sure that his squad took care of business, as he led by example. He finished with 23 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals. Jalen Williams followed that performance with 20 points, 3 steals, and 2 blocks while Chet Holmgren recorded 18 points with 10 rebounds. Kenrich Williams and Cason Wallace each scored 12 points off the bench while Lu Dort and Josh Giddey each ended with 10 points.

Gradey Dick scored a team-high 21 points while hitting 4 threes in the process. Kelly Olynyk recorded 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists while Ochai Agbaji had 12 points, 7 boards, 6 assists, and 3 steals. Bruce Brown finished with 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists.

OKC improves to 49-20 with this win and now hold a 0.5 game lead over the Nuggets for the top spot in the West. This was a big victory for the Thunder as they need to take care of business in the winnable games. They are on a 4-game winning streak and have gone 8-2 over their last 10 games. Next up on their schedule is a meeting with the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

Toronto drops to 23-47 with this loss and now has the 7th worst record in the NBA. They are looking to retool this roster in the off-season so we may not see much of their regular starters for the remaining of the season. The Raptors are on a 9-game losing streak and will face off against the Washington Wizards tomorrow.