The main storyline from Oklahoma City’s Game 1 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2025 Western Conference Finals wasn’t Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s game-high 31 points or his impressive +22 plus/minus. It wasn’t even that he seemed to outplay Anthony Edwards.
The focus, instead, was on his free throw attempts.
Does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Get a Favorable Whistle?
The Thunder guard went to the free-throw line 14 times — half of those coming in the first quarter — and a few calls were questionable. During the broadcast, ESPN analyst Doris Burke noted, “There’s a reason NBA Twitter likes to call him ‘The Free Throw Merchant.’”
But is that nickname fair?
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 9.2 free throw attempts per game in the playoffs, which ties him for third overall. That’s not far off from his regular-season average of 8.8. And while his 110 total free throw attempts lead the 2025 postseason, where does that rank in NBA playoff history?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 110 free throws over a 12-game span ranks ____ all-time in playoff history 😳 pic.twitter.com/GeYL9lwITf
— Mr. Statistician Face Man (@tomhaberstroh)
NBA analyst Tom Haberstroh looked into it and found that Gilgeous-Alexander attempted 110 free throws through 12 playoff games, ranking 406th all-time for any 12-game span. That number suggests the “free throw merchant” label — often tossed around online — doesn’t hold up.
Haberstroh backed it up with more context. Michael Jordan’s highest total in any 12-game stretch was 179. LeBron James? 174.
Like Jordan and James, Gilgeous-Alexander is now an NBA MVP. He was honored with the award for his performance in the 2024-2025 regular season. He averaged a league-high 32.7 points per game, along with 5.0 rebounds and 6.4 assists.
He led the Thunder to an incredible 68-win season, holding his own on their league-best defense. Oklahoma City finished the season with a 106.6 Defensive Rating, nearly three points better than the second-place Orlando Magic (109.1).
He does seek contact and puts pressure on refs to make calls, but that’s hardly unique. Jalen Brunson does the same for the New York Knicks, and that strategy has helped New York reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
Meanwhile, analysts have pointed out that Edwards doesn’t get to the line often enough — something viewed as a flaw in his game. So it’s contradictory to knock Gilgeous-Alexander for drawing fouls while criticizing Edwards for not doing it.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s ability to get calls also challenges the idea of a “playoff whistle” — the belief that refs let more contact slide in the postseason.
Ultimately, the numbers show that Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t getting nearly as many favorable calls as the internet would have you believe. That narrative doesn’t hold up against the stat sheet.
