OKC star wins Clutch award | News, Sports, Jobs

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, bottom left, gives autographs to fans before Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Phoenix Suns, Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s trophy haul keeps growing.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the Oklahoma City guard who is the reigning MVP and NBA Finals MVP, was the overwhelming and nearly unanimous pick as the Clutch Player of the Year for this season, the NBA announced Tuesday.

It’s the first of what could be several awards for Gilgeous-Alexander in the coming weeks. He’s the heavy favorite to win a second straight MVP trophy — and because he’s a finalist there, he’s also a lock to make the All-NBA team for a fourth straight year.

“This award means a lot,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on NBC Sports, which aired the award announcement. “To get this award, you have to help your team win games late and what I’m about more than anything is winning games.”

Gilgeous-Alexander got 96 of a possible 100 first-place votes. Jamal Murray of Denver was second, one point ahead of Anthony Edwards of Minnesota.

Edwards didn’t reach the 65-game eligibility standard for most league awards like MVP and the All-NBA team — and unsuccessfully appealed for a waiver that would have put him on those ballots — but his candidacy for the clutch award wasn’t affected by that rule.

Instead, the finalists for the clutch award were decided by a survey of the league’s coaches. That whittled the group down to 14 names, which were then placed onto the ballot that a panel of 100 reporters and broadcasters who cover the league filled out last week to decide the various awards.

Gilgeous-Alexander has been a contender for the clutch award since it was added to the league’s slate of trophies; he was third last season, eighth in 2024 and seventh in 2023.

Donovan, Bulls part ways

CHICAGO — Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan has resigned after six seasons, opting to step aside rather than work with a new front office, the team announced Tuesday.

President and CEO Michael Reinsdorf made it clear after firing executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley near the end of the season that he wanted Donovan to remain on the job. He said anyone who wanted to bring in a new coach was “probably not the right candidate for us.”

Now, it looks like whoever the Bulls hire to run their organization will get that opportunity.

“While we clearly wanted Billy to return as our head coach, we had open dialogue about the importance of respecting the process of bringing in new basketball operations leadership,” Reinsdorf said in a news release. “Together, we mutually agreed that giving that person the freedom to shape the organization was the best approach for everyone involved.”

The 60-year-old Donovan consistently has said he still has a passion for coaching. The decision to leave the Bulls was made “after a series of thoughtful and extensive discussions with ownership regarding the future of the organization,” Donovan said in the team release announcing the move.

Haugh will wait on draft

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — All-Southeastern Conference forward Thomas Haugh is staying at Florida for his senior season and will skip the NBA draft.

He joins fellow big man Alex Condon in trying to bring another national championship to Gainesville.

Haugh is putting off potential NBA riches to team with Condon and maybe center Rueben Chinyelu for a final go-around in Gainesville.

The 6-foot-9, 215-pound Haugh led the team in scoring, averaging 17.1 points, to go along with 6.1 rebounds a game as a junior. He led the Gators to the SEC title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Tuesday’s games:

– V.J. Edgecombe had 30 points and 10 rebounds while playing through pain after taking a hard fall early in the game, Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Boston Celtics 111-97 on Tuesday night to tie their playoff series at one game apiece. Edgecombe connected on six of the 76ers’ 19 3-pointers. Maxey also had nine assists as Philadelphia bounced back after getting blown out 123-91 in Game 1. The series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 36 points. Jayson Tatum added 19 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists.

– Scoot Henderson scored 31 points and the Portland Trail Blazers took advantage of an injury to Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, rallying for a 106-103 victory over San Antonio to even their Western Conference playoff series at one game apiece. Wembanyama tumbled face-first when he was fouled by Jrue Holiday in the second quarter and his jaw slammed into the floor. He entered the NBA’s concussion protocol, which raises the possibility the versatile 7-foot-4 center could miss multiple games. Portland held San Antonio, which blew a 14-point lead, without a field goal for the final 3:37.