Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked quiet for most of the night, but he flipped the game late to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder past the New York Knicks 111-100 on Sunday, March 29, at Paycom Center. The win marked OKC’s 59th of the season. In the final minutes, SGA took control and turned an “off night” into an MVP statement.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Late-Game Takeover vs Knicks Draws Strong MVP Call from Skip Bayless
Even on a rare slow start, Gilgeous-Alexander found a way to steal the spotlight when it mattered most. Through three quarters, he had 20 points and was not shooting well, going 5-of-15 from the field and struggling from deep over his last two games.
NBA analyst Skip Bayless closely tracked Gilgeous-Alexander’s night and first pointed out what looked like a rare dip in form, writing, “SGA is in a slump – for him. And I’m glad. Get it out of the system now. Only 5-15 tonight – 0-12 from 3 over last 2 games. And … he still scored 20 through 3 quarters vs Knicks.”
But everything changed in the final stretch. In the last five minutes of a close game, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 10 game-breaking points.
He attacked the rim, got to the free-throw line, and even hit a dagger three over Karl-Anthony Towns with three minutes left. His energy and confidence were clear as he celebrated the big shot.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s reaction to his dagger 3-pointer to lift OKC over the Knicks 🤣🔥
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 30, 2026
Seeing that late surge, Bayless changed his tone and made a loud MVP call for the Thunder star. Posting on X, the outspoken analyst wrote: “SGA IS UNBELIEVABLY UNBELIEVABLE. On an ‘off’ night, in clutch time, last 5 minutes of a close game, he scored 10 game-breaking points. Just took over. MVP! MVP! MVP!”
SGA IS UNBELIEVABLY UNBELIEVABLE. On an “off” night, in clutch time, last 5 minutes of a close game, he scored 10 game-breaking points. Just took over. MVP! MVP! MVP!
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) March 30, 2026
The NBA also highlighted his late surge, noting that he scored 10 points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting in the final five minutes as OKC improved to 14-1 in its last 15 games.
Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar added more context to SGA’s blitz against the Knicks, writing, “SGA has scored 30+ points for the 42nd time this season. That’s 10 points during clutch time for the Clutch Player of the Year leader.”
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 30 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists, going 8-of-18 from the field and 13-of-16 from the free-throw line with a +13 rating. He also extended his streak of 20+ point games, continuing a historic scoring run in a season where he is averaging 31.4 points.
Jalen Williams added 22 points for OKC, while Chet Holmgren had 16 points and 9 rebounds. For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson also scored 30+, but he was outplayed late as SGA took over.
Oklahoma City closed the game on a 19-9 run in the closing minutes to seal the win. The Thunder are now 2-0 against the Knicks this season, and New York has still not beaten the Thunder at Madison Square Garden since 2017.
This performance adds to Gilgeous-Alexander’s strong MVP case. He is currently second in the MVP ladder behind Victor Wembanyama, but games like this could push him back to the top.
The reigning NBA MVP and Finals champion continues to lead the best team in the Western Conference, and even on an off night, he showed he can take over a game in ways very few players in the league can.
