An all-time record 54 double-digit victories during regular-season play sometimes made it difficult for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to remind opponents of his placement as a Clutch Player of the Year finalist in the back-to-back seasons prior. But, with Game Four’s home stretch heating up, 2024-25’s Most Valuable Player frontrunner found little issue rekindling his own late-game flame. Rising to the occasion first through a series of size-up dribbles against Vince Williams Jr., the Oklahoma City Thunder megastar eventually settles into a middle-of-the-floor sweet spot, working a reverse pivot, spin combination that unlocks a series-clinching 23-foot middy. Gilgeous-Alexander’s bucket became the ultimate crowd-silencer, ensuring the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed a 4-0 sweep of the pesky Memphis Grizzlies. Inevitably bound to see efficiency work in his favor at some point, Gilgeous-Alexander enjoyed a 38-point outburst (on 13-of-24 shooting) on April 26, 2025, paired alongside five rebounds, six assists, two steals, one block, and a 3-pointer. · Apr 26, 2025