The Oklahoma City Thunder have remained one of the Western Conference powerhouses throughout the season. They’ve done this despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missing significant time. With their upcoming game against the Chicago Bulls, many wonder if the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player will make an appearance.
What’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Status for Thunder vs. Bulls Tonight?
The Thunder Wire’s Clemente Almanza confirmed last night that Gilgeous-Alexander will miss the Thunder’s upcoming game against the Bulls because of “abdominal strain injury managment.”
It’s not the biggest deal for the Thunder because the Bulls are definitely not among the best NBA teams. They may have won their latest game against the Milwaukee Bucks, but the Bulls lost all their games in February.
Chicago has folded on the season, slowly tearing it down over the past two years, which means Oklahoma City should have a pretty easy victory even without Gilgeous-Alexander.
Thunder injury report for tomorrow’s game against the Bulls:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain injury management) is out
Jalen Williams (hamstring strain) is out
Isaiah Hartenstein (soleus injury management) is out
Ajay Mitchell (abdominal strain, ankle sprain) is out…— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) March 2, 2026
However, the more pertinent question is how it affects Gilgeous-Alexander’s chances of repeating as the league’s MVP. As everyone knows by now, the league has a strict 65-game rule: anyone who plays 64 or fewer games will not be eligible for the award.
By missing this game, Gilgeous-Alexander can only miss three more games going forward before he’s ruled out for eligibility. The Thunder are slated to play their 63rd game of the season, leaving them with 19 games left after tonight.
As long as Gilgeous-Alexander plays in 16 of those games at the very least, he should be fine. If he doesn’t, it removes one of the NBA’s very best players from winning its most prestigious player award.
In 51 games this season, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.8 points (second in the league), 4.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, while shooting 55% from the field and 38.1% from beyond the arc. He sits on top of the latest NBA MVP ladder.
There’s actually more incentive to this than making sure the Thunder star is eligible for the award. The Thunder are the No. 1 seed in the West, but they are only three games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs at the moment.
The Spurs have not only been a threat but have beaten the Thunder multiple times this season. They are 4-1 against the defending champion this season. For as dominant as Oklahoma City has been, they have proven how beatable they are. They’ve been dealing with injuries all season long, and what helped them get over the hump last season was the homecourt advantage.
With a potentially tougher west, it’s in their best interest to stay at the top. That means Gilgeous-Alexander should play in as many games as he can.
