On May 12, Beijing time, the Thunder defeated the Lakers 115-110, completing a 4-0 series sweep. The game went down to the wire in the fourth quarter, with Rui Hachimura hitting a miraculous 3+1 and Marcus Smart adding a clutch 2+1 that gave SGA a scare. Fortunately, Chet Holmgren’s dunk saved SGA’s best game of the series. LeBron James missed a go-ahead floater, and Austin Reaves’ potential game-tying three also fell short, allowing SGA to ice the game from the free-throw line.
Every move SGA makes seems designed to draw a foul. The media closely watched his actions, noting that from one point, SGA swung his arm forcefully, then lost the ball, trying to sell a call but failing. “Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is going all out, every move aimed at the defender, but the referees won’t call an offensive foul for these actions,” one analyst remarked. Another critic wrote: “It’s absurd—watch SGA fall to the ground for no reason with no contact, the ball rolling out of bounds, and he still looks for a foul.” Another post read: “Wow, SGA is efficient. He gives up on all defensive opportunities, and half of his turnovers aren’t credited to him because he turns them into free throws.”
In the first half, SGA shot 5-of-12, 0-of-2 from three, scoring 14 points with 4 assists, 1 rebound, and only 1 turnover—a solid performance. In the third quarter, he hit two impressive mid-range jumpers, completed an and-one against Marcus Smart, and drew a trailing foul on Reaves. When the Lakers cut the lead to one, SGA answered with a mid-range jumper. However, he struggled from the line, going 4-of-7 in the quarter, an area where he usually excels. After three quarters, he had 26 points and 7 assists on 11-of-15 free throws.
In the fourth quarter, SGA rested as the Lakers extended their lead to five. Upon returning, he immediately drove forward for a leaning floater to draw a foul. He then hit a step-back fadeaway to record his first 30+ point game of the series. A clutch three-pointer by SGA, combined with the Thunder’s interior dominance, pushed the lead to six. But Hachimura’s crucial 3+1 and Smart’s and-one briefly gave the Lakers the lead again. Isaiah Hartenstein answered with a dunk, and after James missed a go-ahead floater, SGA was fouled and made both free throws to seal the win.
SGA finished the game playing 39 minutes, shooting 11-of-22 from the field, 1-of-4 from three, and 12-of-15 from the free-throw line, totaling 35 points, 8 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal, and 3 turnovers. He shot 50% from the field with a true shooting percentage of 61.2%, but posted a plus-minus of -7.
