Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s undefeated 2026 NBA playoff run came to a screeching halt during Monday’s Game 1 Western Conference finals matchup against the San Antonio Spurs.
Between a masterful performance from Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama and a rough shooting night from Gilgeous-Alexander, San Antonio prevailed 122-115 in a double-overtime thriller in Oklahoma City. Afterward, Gilgeous-Alexander made a candid admission about his subpar play, drawing further ridicule from the NBA world.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Faces Pushback After Honest Assessment of Game 1 Struggles
OKC had its way over the first two rounds of the postseason, cruising to an 8-0 record against the eighth-seeded Phoenix Suns and a Luka Dončić-less Los Angeles Lakers team.
While the defending champions held advantages on both ends of the court vs. their first two playoff opponents, they were far more evenly matched against a 62-win Spurs squad that gave them major trouble in the regular season.
Gilgeous-Alexander struggled mightily against San Antonio’s league-best postseason defense in Game 1, repeatedly missing the mark on contested jumpers as he was hounded by the likes of Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell.
Fresh off accepting his second straight MVP award, Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 24 points, 12 assists, and 5 steals. However, he shot just 7-for-23 overall (30.4%), including 2-for-7 from 3-point range (28.6%), while committing 4 turnovers and logging a game-worst minus-15 plus-minus.
SGA TONIGHT:
16 PTS without FTS
7/23 FGM (1/4 in OT)
2/7 3PM (0/2 in OT)
44.5% TSCARUSO AND CHET COULDN’T BAIL HIM OUT 😭 pic.twitter.com/FUCWgT93rP
— NBA Tour Dates (@NBATourDates) May 19, 2026
The four-time All-Star’s offensive woes came to a head late, as he missed a go-ahead transition layup attempt with the game tied at 97-97 with just over a minute to go in regulation.
SGA HAD A LAYUP TO TAKE THE LEAD AND CHOKED 😭 pic.twitter.com/YnVmx6jCjD
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) May 19, 2026
He also couldn’t capitalize on a critical wide-open 3-point look with the Thunder trailing 110-108 with 3:23 remaining in the second overtime.
SGA BROKE HIS ANKLES AND HIT A CLUTCH 3 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bbqC6JStHt
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) May 19, 2026
Conversely, Wembanyama showcased his two-way dominance, protecting the rim, vacuuming up boards, dunking at will, and even draining a clutch logo triple. The French phenom tallied a game-high 41 points, 24 rebounds, and 3 blocks on efficient 14-for-25 shooting (56.0%) as he completely upstaged Gilgeous-Alexander.
“Quality opponent, we knew it was gonna be a dogfight. We just gotta be better,” Gilgeous-Alexander acknowledged postgame. “Me, in particular, have to play better, especially against a team of this caliber. Yeah, nothing more than that.”
“We just got to be better, me in particular.”
SGA on shooting 7-23 FG in the Thunder’s Game 1 loss. pic.twitter.com/K6sc9CVCYW
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 19, 2026
Gilgeous-Alexander’s honest assessment didn’t do much to quell frustrations. The NBA community on X continued piling on the 2025 NBA Finals MVP, with many pointing to his overreliance on consistently getting to the free-throw line in order to be successful.
“Refs didn’t do their part. I blame the refs here for not helping SGA,” one Lakers supporter quipped.
Refs didn’t do their part. I blame the refs here for not helping SGA
— Fantastic Bean (@LakersPixie) May 19, 2026
“Not very clutch from Mr. Clutch. Wait, his clutch shooting happens from the free-throw line. If his flopping isn’t rewarding him with free throws, he’s not very clutch, much less MVP. The fraud is finally getting exposed,” another X user blasted Gilgeous-Alexander.
Not very Clutch from Mr. Clutch. Wait, his clutch shooting happens from the free throw line. If his flopping isn’t rewarding him with free throws he’s not very clutch much less MVP. The fraud is finally getting exposed.
— Let’s Go!!! (@Styllizing) May 19, 2026
“SGA is just average without those 10 fts and 20 shoves a game,” one observer asserted.
SGA is just average without those 10fts and 20shoves a game
— The Red Guy (@exlaws24) May 19, 2026
“Bro thinks he’s playing the Lakers 🤣🤣,” another jested.
Bro thinks he’s playing the lakers 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/HDX3CtdYEK https://t.co/tgveKlped6
— Armstrong 🏀 (@ntrarmstrong) May 19, 2026
“Amazing how basic he is when he ain’t just going to the line all night,” one user contended.
Amazing how basic he is when he ain’t just going to the line all night.
— Pat (@solidpat221) May 19, 2026
Gilgeous-Alexander’s 7-for-23 shooting performance marked his second-worst of this year’s playoffs, dropping his averages to 28.6 points per game on 48.5% shooting from the field and 31.6% shooting from deep through nine outings.
