OKLAHOMA CITY — During Oklahoma City’s injury-ravaged season, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander found himself in the clutch often — moments he not only anticipated, but reveled in this year. Now, he’s been rewarded for it.

On Tuesday, the NBA announced that Gilgeous-Alexander was voted as this season’s winner of the Clutch Player of the Year Award, aka the Jerry West Trophy.

“To win this award, you have to help your team win games late,” Gilgeous-Alexander told NBC’s in-studio crew. “That’s what I’m after more than anything, winning games.”

He received 96 first-place votes, plus one second- and third-place vote each, tallying 484 total points for a resounding win. Jamal Murray and Anthony Edwards, his fellow finalists, did not tally any first-place votes.

Gilgeous-Alexander is the fourth different recipient of the award in as many seasons, following Jalen Brunson, Stephen Curry and De’Aaron Fox.

West, who was a consultant with the LA Clippers when they selected SGA with the 11th pick in the 2018 draft, was among the earliest identifiers of the star guard’s potential.

“He always believed in me, from the jump,” Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters via Zoom of West, who died in 2024 at 86. “Having a guy like that believe in you really gives you a good push in the back. Knowing that he believed in me my first day in the NBA, I knew I was on the right path and headed in the right direction.

“I always kept that in the back of my mind.”

The Thunder (64-18) were 24-10 in clutch games during the regular season, the NBA’s second-best such winning percentage behind the Los Angeles Lakers (22-8). Individually, Gilgeous-Alexander was 20-7 in such games.

Per the NBA’s “Clutch” tracking data, which accounts for the final five minutes of a game in which the score differential is five points or fewer, Gilgeous-Alexander’s average of 6.5 points in the clutch is the best in the NBA among those who played more than one clutch game. For the season, SGA’s NBA-high 175 clutch-time points were scored in just over 125 such minutes, about 52 more than second-place Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets (166). He shot 51.5 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from deep in clutch time.

On go-ahead/game-tying shots inside within the final two minutes of regulation or overtime, Gilgeous-Alexander’s 27 makes this season were the second-most in the NBA behind the Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey. He shot 63.4 percent on such attempts, second to New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson.

But zoom in further: On go-ahead shots, SGA recorded a league-leading 17 makes and shot 58.6 percent on those looks.

The gravity of Gilgeous-Alexander’s season was underscored in the fourth quarter. He seemed to consistently press two buttons: His dominance either ensured he never needed to play the final 12 minutes, or his circumstances determined he could wear the cape for the final five.

Asked Tuesday if any moments specifically stick out to him from this season, SGA’s eyes rolled back to access his bank of clutch shots.

He recalled how Oklahoma City’s season began with back-to-back overtime games. He also referenced his most recent display of heroics, a March 30 overtime win over the shorthanded Detroit Pistons.

SGA tallied 21 of his 47 points that night between the fourth quarter and overtime without missing a shot.

“Those games felt like, more than any, I had my control on things late,” he said.

A lot gets lost in the middle.

Perhaps no week better encapsulated his late-game gall than the eight days from March 4-12, four straight wins versus the Knicks, Warriors, Nuggets and Celtics.

Gilgeous-Alexander did not discriminate. He gave Denver a farewell with a leaning 3 at the buzzer. He gave the Thunder breathing room against the Warriors and Knicks with similar sidestep 3s with less than two minutes to play.

All games decided in the clutch amid a tight race atop the Western Conference. All decided by SGA’s hand.

Now, his regular season will be remembered for it.