Oklahoma City Thunder superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drew the ire of Minnesota Timberwolves fans early in Monday’s Game 4 Western Conference finals clash.
With his squad leading the series 2-1 and seeking to bounce back from Saturday’s 143-101 blowout Game 3 road loss, Gilgeous-Alexander came out strong. He finished the first half with 21 points, five rebounds, six assists, and two 3-pointers on 7-for-15 shooting (46.7%).
However, the 2025 MVP’s foul-drawing techniques once again frustrated fans at Target Center.
Timberwolves Fans Chant ‘Free-Throw Merchant’ at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Early in Game 4
Gilgeous-Alexander’s tendency to embellish contact to get to the free-throw line has been a hot topic of discussion throughout the playoffs. For the second straight outing, Minnesota fans voiced their displeasure with how he was officiated, chanting “free-throw merchant” at the three-time All-Star in the first half.
Wolves fans are chanting “free throw merchant” at SGA 😅 pic.twitter.com/TBh16JP0MK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 27, 2025
ESPN’s Doris Burke also made another in-broadcast “free-throw merchant” remark. After Gilgeous-Alexander drew a late first-half foul on Timberwolves star center Rudy Gobert while attempting a jumper, she quipped about the origin of his undesirable nickname.
“And there’s contact on the elbow. This is why he’s called the ‘free-throw merchant,'” Burke said.
However, her broadcast partner Richard Jefferson pushed back, noting that “every player in the league can do this.”
Doris Burke called SGA a free throw merchant AGAIN 😠pic.twitter.com/Fa7ebCId6y
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) May 27, 2025
Despite fans’ outrage, Gilgeous-Alexander entered halftime with just six free-throw attempts, converting five.
Gilgeous-Alexander Leads Thunder With 40-Point Game 4 Eruption
Gilgeous-Alexander’s offensive onslaught continued in the second half as he amassed a playoff career-high 40 points to stave off Minnesota 128-126. He added nine rebounds and 10 assists, nearly triple-doubling in arguably the biggest game of his seven-year career.
His co-stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren also stepped up. Williams finished with 34 points, five assists, three steals and six triples, shooting 13-for-24 (54.2%). Meanwhile, Holmgren added 21 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, going 9-for-14 (64.3%)
OKC’s suffocating defense limited Timberwolves superstar shooting guard Anthony Edwards to just 16 points on 5-for-13 shooting (38.5%). His co-star Julius Randle fared even worse, going 1-for-7 (14.3%) for five points as Minnesota’s role players rose to the occasion to keep the contest close. This includes Gilgeous-Alexander’s cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who recorded a team-best 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting (60%).
The Thunder strategically fouled in the final seconds to prevent the Timberwolves from attempting a potential game-tying shot. Trailing 128-126 with 3.5 seconds left, Edwards intentionally missed the second of two free throws to give his squad a chance at securing a rebound and tying or winning the contest.
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Instead, Gilgeous-Alexander corralled the ball and hurled it down the court and out of bounds with 0.3 seconds remaining, preventing Minnesota from getting off a good look.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. will look to close out the Timberwolves during Wednesday’s Game 5 tilt in OKC and advance to the NBA Finals. The Thunder last secured a finals berth in 2012.
