The Oklahoma City Thunder secured a 108-90 win against the Los Angeles Lakers to open their second-round playoff series on Tuesday night.
And although Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked off the Paycom Center floor with a Game 1 win, the complaints about his foul-baiting tactics only grew louder.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Foul-Baiting Draws Backlash as Thunder Beat Lakers in Game 1
Oklahoma City arrived rested after sweeping the Phoenix Suns in the opening round. The defending champions looked a bit rusty in the first half before settling in and looking out for favorable matchups against the Los Angeles backcourt.
However, for many fans online, the result felt like a secondary storyline as they slammed the officiating, accusing the whistles of favoring SGA.
Averaging over 33 points during Round 1 against the Suns, Gilgeous-Alexander found it difficult to find his footing in the early stages of the game.
Trying to draw contact on a frequent basis, many were miffed at his foul-baiting tactics and overall poor display, with one user posting, “SGA is so bad for the league. Absolutely embarrassing.”
SGA is so bad for the league. Absolutely embarrassing pic.twitter.com/mniWF6Darb
— NBA Shane (@Shane00) May 6, 2026
Meanwhile, Gary Vaynerchuk remarked, “Trying to get fouled instead of making a basketball play as your primary focus as a player … is a wild existence 🏀”
“Not gonna beat the free-throw merchant allegations if you always expect them from the refs 😂,” another user said.
Not gonna beat the free throw merchant allegations if you always expect them from the refs 😂 pic.twitter.com/DQLpsPLZAs
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) May 6, 2026
“Shai Gilgeous-Alexander failed to score 20+ points in a game for the first time in almost a year 😳,” RealApp noted.
“SGA pushed off on Luke Kennard, kicked him, and got FREE THROWS 😂🤣,” Hater Report posted.
SGA pushed off on Luke Kennard, kicked him, and got FREE THROWS 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/hGTspH49Lt
— Hater Report (@HaterReport) May 6, 2026
Pointing out an SGA effort to draw a call that resulted in a turnover, one user commented, “Can’t get bailed out by the whistle every drive.”
“Dishonorable basketball in every sense. You would get kicked out of your local YMCA with this nonsense,” NFL writer and podcast host Marcus Mosher bluntly remarked.
Dishonorable basketball in every sense.
You would get kicked out of your local YMCA with this nonsense. https://t.co/uStt5YtwMZ
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) May 6, 2026
After a rather sluggish start, Gilgeous-Alexander found some momentum, finishing the game with 18 points and 6 assists while going 8-for-15 from the floor.
However, the reigning MVP also gave away a game-high 7 turnovers against a Lakers side that once again saw most of its offensive load being carried by LeBron James.
After an underwhelming performance by his standards, Gilgeous-Alexander was brief in his postgame assessment: “Tonight was very simple. Multiple bodies, that means multiple people are open.”
For Los Angeles, James finished with a game-high 27 points while going 12-for-17 from the floor, while Austin Reaves failed to turn up, dropping a disappointing 8-point, 4-turnover performance.
With Luka Dončić’s return timeline still a mystery, JJ Redick faces some difficult roster decisions to keep the Lakers alive when Game 2 tips off on Thursday.
