The Thunder have the best record of the remaining NBA Cup teams and are the favorite to win the second in-season tournament, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played a significant role in the run. After finishing runner-up for MVP last season and leading the ...

Gilgeous-Alexander put on a superstar masterpiece in the Thunder’s Knockout Rounds victory over Dallas. His 39 points on 65.2% shooting came from all levels (six FGA in the paint, four at mid-range, five beyond the arc). He also chips in on the stingiest defense in the league, and his on-court plus-15.6 leads all players in Cup play.

The Oklahoma City Thunder star continues to raise his game, and a dominant performance in the in-season tournament is the latest evidence of his ascendance.

It's still a long ways away, but Las Vegas has gained one notable supporter for an NBA franchise. Gilgeous-Alexander will get a chance to play at T-Mobile Arena one last time in front of a national audience.

As long as Jokic continues to post triple-double averages, he will be part of the 2024-25 NBA MVP discussion. However, in this installment of NBA MVP power rankings, we’re going to take a look at wins and losses and where a team sits in the standings and give special consideration to MVP candidates whose teams are at or near the top of the standings.

Gilgeous-Alexander entered the game averaging 29.8 points, 6.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds. He's fourth in points per game in the NBA behind Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo (32.6), Charlotte's LaMelo Ball (31.1) and Denver's Nikola Jokic (30.1).

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander maneuvered meticulously through every coverage the Mavericks threw at him, pouring in 39 points on 23 shots from all over the court. The reigning MVP runner-up made eight mid-range shots on 11 attempts,

Oklahoma City’s success this season has been mainly due to the play of their All-NBA guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. After finishing second in MVP voting to Nikola Jokić last season, the 26-year-old is once again in the MVP race this season.

The Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the two favorites to win NBA Cup MVP, according to BetMGM. They also join the Dallas Mavericks' Luka Dončić and Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokić as favorites to win the league's regular-season MVP award.

Gilgeous-Alexander dominated in his homecoming. He finished with 30 points on 11-of-22 shooting, five assists and four rebounds. He shot 1-of-10 from 3 and went 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. He only played the first three quarters before he rested the fourth frame.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 of his 32 points in the second half, and the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away late Saturday night to defeat the Houston Rockets 111-96 and advance to the NBA Cup championship.