Jan. 12, 2026, 11:00 a.m. CT
Taking on Jaime Jaquez Jr. again, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added to OKC’s game-sealing run. He seamlessly spun around the Miami defender. The reaction time was too slow as the reigning MVP finished through contact to bank in the layup as he left the ground with one foot.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a strong second half to come away with a 124-112 win over the Miami Heat.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting, eight assists and five rebounds. He shot 2-of-6 from 3 and went 7-of-9 on free throws. He also had a steal and a block.
Early on, Gilgeous-Alexander couldn’t buy a bucket. I know, I know — that sounds like an oxymoron. But that’s what happened as he missed his first six shot attempts. Something that seldom happens to the reigning MVP who’s built a Hall-of-Fame career by being a walking 30-point machine.
Eventually, Gilgeous-Alexander figured things out. He made his next 10 shot attempts. By now, you should know Miami loves to run some gimmick defenses. This was more or less of the same. Didn’t matter, though. He sliced through their defense and got to the paint with an array of headache-inducing moves to follow with your pupils — much less being asked to defend him in the flesh.
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The jumper eventually returned to Gilgeous-Alexander. First, from his typical mid-range spots at the elbow and baseline. And then the outside shot finally fell. About time. Feels like it’s been forever since he’s seen those shots consistently fall through amid OKC’s recent scoring hiccups.
“The way I see it, we don’t have any other options. Usually, the law of averages plays out. We have guys on the team who can shoot the ball. Especially when we get good looks. Just gotta keep taking them,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That doesn’t mean we defer from it. Good looks go in. When we stay on that path, ball will figure it out.”
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 16 points in OKC’s game-winning third frame. As the second unit ran away from the Heat in the fourth quarter, he wasn’t asked to do much. Which is a crazy thought considering how the first half played out. After a one-game absence, the Thunder welcomed him back with some low-stress minutes.
After beating up on a few bottom-barrel teams, the real challenge will come to town — the San Antonio Spurs. The Thunder have already lost three in a row against the up-and-coming squad, with a Christmas disaster being the headliner. If OKC wants to get its mojo back, it has to beat that boogeyman in front of a national audience.
“We got to win — just like every other night. You wake up and want to win a basketball game. It’s obviously a very good team who’s gotten the better of us recently,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Should be a fun one. Should be competitive. We got to go out there and do the necessary things to win the game and if we don’t, we’ll most likely lose.”