Crashing the Boards: Where does SGA fit in list of NBA greats?

Crashing the Boards: Where does SGA fit in list of NBA greats after Game 3 against Suns?

On the latest edition of Crashing the Boards, KOCO 5 Sports Director Bryan Keating and special guest Dylan Buckingham discuss the Thunder’s Game 3 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

DATE ON YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST. EVERYBODY WELCOME INTO THE SHOW TONIGHT. BRYAN KEATING ALONGSIDE DYLAN BUCKINGHAM. HELLO AGAIN. IT’S TIME FOR CRASHING THE BOARDS. TIME, TIME. I’M EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT SOME THUNDER. WHOOPS. OH THEY’RE PLAYING. THEY ARE. OH WOW. FOR A SHORT TIME AGAINST THE PHOENIX SUNS. WE’LL GET INTO THAT IN A MINUTE. SGA. I THINK HE MIGHT BE ALL TIME GOOD. THAT’S CERTAINLY THE WAY HE PLAYED YESTERDAY. WE’LL GET INTO THAT. PLENTY MORE ON CRASHING THE BOARDS. LET’S START WITH GAME THREE ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON AGAINST THE PHOENIX SUNS SERIES GOES TO PHOENIX. AND THAT MAN RIGHT THERE, HIS GAME TRAVELS ON BOTH ENDS OF THE FLOOR. OH BY THE WAY IT WAS MORE COMPETITIVE ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON. SHEA WAS SPECTACULAR. HE HAD 42 POINTS EIGHT ASSISTS. HE DID HAVE THAT STEAL IN THE DUNK. HE MADE 15 OF HIS 18 SHOTS. HE DID IT FROM EVERYWHERE. AND THAT ONE YOU GO OH MY GOSH. COME ON THUNDER WIN IT 121 TO 109. THEY LEAD THE SERIES THREE GAMES TO NONE. WE KNEW COMING INTO TODAY. TONIGHT WE TYPICALLY STRUGGLE WITH THESE GAMES. LAST YEAR WE GO DOWN BIG IN MEMPHIS. GAME THREE WE LOSE GAME THREE. IN DENVER SERIES. WE LOSE GAME THREE IN MINNESOTA SERIES BY 40, AND WE LOSE GAME THREE IN INDIANA. SO YEAH, WE WE REALLY WANTED TO COME OUT HERE AND JUST PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD. I WOULD SAY THEY ABSOLUTELY PUT THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD. IT WAS MORE COMPETITIVE. YOU THOUGHT THAT IT PROBABLY WAS GOING TO BE THAT WAY GOING TO PHOENIX. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF OKC? IT WAS STUPID. I MEAN STUPID GOOD. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. YEAH. LIKE 15 OF 18. WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THIS GUY IS UNREAL. AND THIS TEAM IS UNREAL. AND IT’S SO RIDICULOUS TO ME HOW HE WATCHED THIS SQUAD LITERALLY PLUG AND PLAY GUYS. AND IT WORKS. I DON’T KNOW HOW IT WORKS. I DON’T KNOW WHY. SAM PRESTI IS A MAGICIAN WHEN IT COMES TO SCOUTING AND DRAFTING. AND I KNOW THEY ALWAYS SAY WE DRAFT GUYS BASED OFF OF CHARACTER, BUT GUESS WHAT? THAT CHARACTER TRAIT THAT THOSE GUYS HAVE IS INCREDIBLE. LIKE THE MENTAL TOUGHNESS THAT THESE GUYS HAVE WHEN THEY COME IN, WHEN THERE’S NO JAYLEN WILLIAMS AND THEY PLAY THAT WAY. LIKE, I’M JUST, I’M MARVEL AT THEIR ABILITY TO DO IT. IT’S IT’S LITERALLY STUPID. IT IS. I THINK YOU JUST YOU’VE SEEN EVERYTHING FROM OKC IN THIS ENTIRE SERIES. DEFENSIVELY. THEY’VE BEEN EXCEPTIONAL. OFFENSIVELY THEY CAN GO UP AND DOWN A LITTLE BIT JUST DEPENDING ON WHETHER THE THREE POINT SHOTS GO IN. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO GET FROM SHAY. I WAS CURIOUS TO SEE HOW THEY WOULD PLAY WITHOUT JAYLEN WILLIAMS. I KNOW THEY PLAYED WITHOUT HIM A LOT OF THE SEASON. BUT THE PLAYOFFS ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. THE STAGE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. SHAY MENTIONED THE GAME THREE THING. THEY DIDN’T WIN ANY OF THE GAME THREES LAST SEASON, EXCEPT FOR THE ONE THEY HAD TO COME BACK WHEN THEY WERE DOWN 30 AGAINST. THE GRIZZLIES. THEY PLAYED GOOD YESTERDAY. THIS TEAM IS SO GOOD THAT THEY’RE BORING AND THEY REALLY I THINK THEY ARE SO GOOD THAT THEY’RE BORING. YOU KIND OF KNOW WHAT THEY’RE GOING TO GET. THEY’RE NOT A HIGHLIGHT FACTORY LIKE SOME OF THESE TEAMS WHERE THEY PLAY ABOVE THE RIM. AND IT’S JUST LIKE OH MY GOSH. AND IT’S HIGHLIGHT DUNK AND HIGHLIGHT DUNK. WHAT THEY DO IS THEY JUST WEAR YOU DOWN DEFENSIVELY. THEY THEY DON’T GIVE YOU ANY AIRSPACE. THEY SUFFOCATE YOU ON THAT END. AND WHAT THEY DO ON THE OFFENSIVE END THE WAY SHAY ATTACKS AND THE WAY HE MANIPULATES THE DEFENSE. IT’S NOT SPECTACULAR ALL THE TIME. THEY ARE A LAYUP MACHINE NOT A HIGHLIGHT FACTORY. BUT THEY’RE SO GOOD. THEY’RE BORING. WELL IT’S SO WILD. YOU AND I WERE TALKING OFF SET TONIGHT, AND I’M SITTING HERE GOING, AND I HATE TO SAY THIS AGAIN, GUY WHO WORKS IN OKLAHOMA CITY SAYS THE THUNDER AREN’T GOING TO BE CHALLENGED UNTIL THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS. THAT’S WHERE I’M AT WITH THIS TEAM BECAUSE IT’S INCREDIBLE. LIKE, AGAIN, ONE THROUGH 15, THEY’RE JUST BETTER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE. NOW. INJURIES CAN DERAIL THINGS. I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT OH MY GOSH UNREAL. THEY ARE UNBELIEVABLE. SPEAKING OF UNBELIEVABLE, I DO WANT TO GET INTO THE AFTERNOON FROM SHEA GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER WHO HAD 42 POINTS. HE WAS IN CREDIBLE IN EVERY SINGLE WAY, ESPECIALLY DOWN THE STRETCH. HE JUST WOULDN’T HE WOULDN’T HE DIDN’T GIVE AN INCH. AND SO HIS TEAMMATE ALEX CARUSO SAID THIS ABOUT SGA AFTER THE GAME. THIS IS WHO HE IS. AND THAT’S KIND OF WHY WE GO THE WAY WE GO BECAUSE HE IS, YOU KNOW, OUR LEADER. AND WHEN HE HAS THAT MENTALITY AND YOU HAVE OTHER GUYS, YOU KNOW, ON THE TEAM THAT HAVE THE SAME MENTALITY, YOU KNOW, YOU PUT ALL THAT TOGETHER AND YOU’RE MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. IT’S A POWERFUL BEFORE. SO, YOU KNOW, I’M JUST NOT SURPRISED ANYMORE WITH HIM. YOU KNOW, I JUST I KIND OF HAVE GROWN TO EXPECT IT. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT MIGHT BE A DETRIMENT TO HIM AND HIS GREATNESS BECAUSE I DO GET TO SEE IT EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. BUT IT REALLY IS, YOU KNOW, IT’S MAGNIFICENT TO SEE JUST HIS MENTALITY IS ETERNALLY OPTIMISTIC. AND HE’S JUST A HE’S A KILLER WITH HIS COMPETITIVE MINDSET. YOU KNOW WHAT I FIND INTERESTING ABOUT THAT? I, I FIND IT INTERESTING WHEN GUYS TALK ABOUT THEIR TEAMMATES IN REVERENT TERMS. AND THAT’S WHAT THAT WAS. ALEX CARUSO IS GOING. I’M PLAYING WITH ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS EVER TO DO IT AND I KNOW IT. SEE YOU WENT A LITTLE FURTHER THAN I DID. I’M NOT THERE YET. I MEAN HE’S GOING TO BE, I THINK ONE DAY TALKING ABOUT GOAT. I’M NOT RANKING ALL THESE THINGS. I’M JUST HE’S HE’S ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS EVER TO DO IT. SO I’M GOING TO DO THIS. I’M NOT GOING TO SAY GOAT. I’M GOING TO SAY GREATEST OF ALL THUNDER. OKAY. NOT GREATEST OF ALL TIME. GREATEST OF ALL. SORRY. RIGHT THERE. CAMERON. YES. GREATEST OF ALL THUNDER. BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT HE IS SO FAR. AND I REMEMBER TALKING TO PEOPLE AFTER THE DURANT SITUATION. WHEN K.D. LEAVES, RUSSELL WESTBROOK STEPS UP, WINS AN MVP IN OKLAHOMA CITY, AND I’M GOING, HOW DO YOU REPLICATE THAT? AND GUESS WHAT? THEY’VE DONE IT. AND MAYBE IT’S BEEN BETTER, WHICH IS SO CRAZY TO THINK. I NEVER THOUGHT WE’D TALK ABOUT A GUY IN OKLAHOMA CITY THAT WOULD BE BETTER THAN EITHER OF THOSE TWO. AND HERE WE ARE. AND HE IS. HE IS BETTER THAN BOTH OF THOSE TWO. AND AND WILL BE. I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT I THOUGHT THE MOST INTERESTING PART OF WHAT ALEX CARUSO SAID IS THIS IS HOW HE DESCRIBED SHAY GILGEOUS ALEXANDER. HE CALLED HIM A KILLER WITH HIS COMPETITIVE MINDSET. WHO DOES. WHO DOES THAT STRIKE YOU THAT THAT IS DESCRIBING TO ME THOSE KINDS OF GUYS. HE’S TALKING ABOUT KOBE BRYANT AND HE’S TALKING ABOUT MICHAEL JORDAN. WHAT SHAY GILGEOUS ALEXANDER DOES ON A NIGHTLY BASIS IS JORDAN ESQUE. HE IS THE CLOSEST PLAYER TO MICHAEL JORDAN THAT WE HAVE CERTAINLY SEEN SINCE KOBE BRYANT. THE THINGS THAT HE DOES, HIS COMPETITIVE SPIRIT AND THE WAY HE PLAYED YESTERDAY. SGA BECOMES THE THIRD PLAYER ALL TIME IN A PLAYOFF GAME TO SCORE 40 POINTS OR MORE, FIVE ASSISTS OR MORE, AND MAKE 80% OF THEIR SHOTS. THERE’S ONLY TWO GUYS TO DO THAT. SINCE THE 1980S. IT’S SHAY GILGEOUS ALEXANDER, AND IT’S MICHAEL JORDAN. THERE’S A LOT OF LISTS THAT SHAY’S ON NOW WITH THE MVP STUFF WITH MICHAEL JORDAN. HE IS JORDAN ESQUE IN EVERY SINGLE WAY. AND THE WAY HE PLAYED ON SATURDAY WAS ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR. IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE. I KNOW WE’RE KIND OF UP AGAINST IT, BUT I’M GONNA ASK YOU THIS QUESTION. DO YOU FEEL LIKE SHAY HAS A BETTER MENTALITY AS A QUOTE UNQUOTE, KILLER IN THE NBA THAN LEBRON JAMES? LOOK, I JUST THINK THOSE TWO GUYS ARE DIFFERENT. SHAY HAS TO DO IT DIFFERENTLY. LEBRON IS SO PHYSICALLY IMPOSING. HE’S UNBELIEVABLE. HE THINKS THE GAME HE IS 1A1B WITH MICHAEL JORDAN ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS OF ALL TIME. BUT I LOVE SHAY’S DEMEANOR IN ALL OF THESE SITUATIONS. WHEN I SAY HE’S SO GOOD, HE IS SO GOOD, HE IS BORING. I THINK THAT’S THE WAY THAT PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY LOOK AT HIM. HE IS SO GOOD. AND THE THINGS THAT HE DOES, AT TIMES IT IS BORING. HE’S NOT A HIGHLIGHT FACTOR. HE’S A MIDRANGE JUMPER AND A LAYUP MACHINE, AND THAT’S THE WAY HE PLAYS. IT’S DIFFERENT THAN LEBRON, BUT I LOVE HIS DEMEANOR. IT IS A SIGHT TO BEHOLD, AND IT’S JUST CRAZY THAT WE GET TO SEE THIS IN OKLAHOMA CITY ON A NIGHTLY BASIS. UNBELIEVABLE. WE ARE UP AGAINST IT. I DO WANT TO GET TO ONE MORE TOPIC. WE GOT ABOUT A MINUTE TO GO. GAME FOUR, BY THE WAY, GOING FOR THE SWEEP. THEY’RE UP THREE TO NOTHING. THE LAKERS ARE UP THREE TO NOTHING IN THEIR SERIES AS WELL. SEE HOW THE GAME TONIGHT GOES? NO TEAM HAS EVER COME DOWN FROM THREE NOTHING. SO I’M JUST GOING TO MAKE A FEW ASSUMPTIONS HERE. LET’S ASSUME THAT THE THUNDER AND LAKERS PLAY IN ROUND TWO. YOU EXCITED ABOUT THAT SERIES? HERE’S MY SIMPLE ANSWER. AND I KIND OF TEASED IT EARLIER. I MEAN I HATE TO SAY IT OH MAN. REALLY. LEBRON’S COMING TO TOWN. YEAH. WOW. OKAY WE’LL SEE WHO PLAYS RIGHT. IF AUSTIN REAVES IS THERE. IF LUKA DONCIC IS THERE. I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE STATUS OF LUKA IS. IS HE GOING TO PLAY IN THAT SERIES? LISTEN, AS A BASKETBALL FAN NBA FAN, I’D LOVE TO SEE BOTH THOSE CATS PLAY. I’D LOVE TO SEE LEBRON GIVE ME SOMETHING I CAN GET EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW. I’M NOT SEEING ALL THAT. I LOVE THE LEBRON’S COMING. I DON’T CARE WHAT STAGE IN HIS CAREER. YOU GET ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS EVER TO PLAY. AND I’M TALKING ABOUT ONE OF THE BEST TWO PLAYERS EVER TO DO IT. BUT THE THUNDER HAVE BEEN GIANT KILLERS IN THESE SITUATIONS. GIANT KILLERS. AND I’LL GO BACK TO TWO INSTANCES. I BROUGHT UP KOBE BRYANT A MINUTE AGO AFTER KOBE BRYANT PLAYED THE THUNDER IN TWO 2012. HE NEVER WON ANOTHER PLAYOFF SERIES, LOST HERE, NEVER WON ANOTHER PLAYOFF SERIES. TIM DUNCAN HIS LAST GAME WAS IN OKLAHOMA CITY. LEBRON’S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO RETIRE. GIANT KILLERS IS WHAT OKLAHOMA CITY IS GOING TO BE. AND SO I THINK IT’S FUN. I WANT STEPH I WANT LEBRON LET’S GO. IT SOUNDS FUN IN OKLAHOMA CITY FOR A SERIES. THE THUNDE

Crashing the Boards: Where does SGA fit in list of NBA greats after Game 3 against Suns?

On the latest edition of Crashing the Boards, KOCO 5 Sports Director Bryan Keating and special guest Dylan Buckingham discuss the Thunder’s Game 3 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

Updated: 11:13 PM CDT Apr 26, 2026

Editorial Standards ⓘ

On the latest edition of Crashing the Boards, KOCO 5 Sports Director Bryan Keating and special guest Dylan Buckingham discuss the Thunder’s Game 3 victory over the Phoenix Suns and look ahead to who the Thunder could face if they advance to Round 2.

Tags: