Fatigue, for the average player, might’ve been a factor on March 3, 2025, after a seventh game in 11 days, and a back-to-back no less. For Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, it merely marked another day in his Most Valuable Player-caliber “world tour,” as he played his “greatest hits” against the Houston Rockets. Like a Ferrari weaving through a busy expressway, Gilgeous-Alexander recorded one particularly special highlight during a 28-point opening half, protecting his dribble amidst a double before using a spin and stealth-like duck to free his runway for an around-the-rim, off-glass finish. 20 seconds later, the Oklahoma City Thunder returned for more, leaving Aaron Holiday’s stance looking reminiscent to a quarter past four on a clock by using a brake-pumping between-the-leg, followed by a smooth pull-up middy. Such plays set the stage for Gilgeous-Alexander’s fourth different 50-point game — for reference, no other in 2024-25 has more than one — and victory over shorthanded-but-spirited Rockets. By the conclusion, the box score read as follows: 51 points, five rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block, alongside scorching-hot efficiency overall (18-of-30), from deep (five-of-nine), and from the free throw line (10-of-10). · Mar 4, 2025