In a postseason filled with emotion, grit, and resolve, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has stood at the center of it all – he’s calm, composed, and unrelenting. Now, two games into his first NBA Finals appearance, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s All-NBA superstar is putting the finishing touches on a masterpiece of a season, one that could go down as one of the greatest individual campaigns in league history.

With 34 points in Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Finals, following up a 38-point performance in the series opener, Gilgeous-Alexander has the Thunder in a great position to win a title, and he has cemented his place in rarified air. His 72 combined points are the most ever in a player’s first two NBA Finals games, eclipsing a mark previously associated with some of the game’s all-time greats.

And he’s not done just yet.

Elite company, historic pace

In the postseason, every possession carries weight, and every moment is magnified. But for Gilgeous-Alexander, these moments don’t appear to faze him. He’s not just rising to the occasion – he’s controlling it.

Game 2's 34-point outing marked his ninth consecutive home playoff game with 30 points or more, joining only Wilt Chamberlain in NBA history to accomplish that feat. In doing so, he also notched his 11th playoff game with at least 30 points and five assists, a stat line that only LeBron James and Michael Jordan have reached in multiple postseason runs.

LeBron did it in three separate years. MJ did it in two. Shai’s doing it this year.

His consistent brilliance has propelled him to the top of the 2025 playoff scoring leaderboard. With 516 total points, he recently passed Jalen Brunson (514) for the most points scored in this year’s postseason. He’s doing it efficiently, artistically – and with the kind of poise that makes it clear: this is his moment.

The MVP is carrying like an MVP

The Thunder have been one of the NBA’s most compelling stories all year – a young, unselfish team loaded with talent, built through the draft, and molded into a contender. But in the crucible of the playoffs, every great team needs that singular force – that player who can tilt the court, break a defense, and change the game’s emotional temperature.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is that force for Oklahoma City.

After leading the league in scoring during the regular season and earning All-NBA First Team honors, he was named the 2025 NBA MVP — a recognition of his two-way dominance and night-to-night consistency. And now, as the lights burn brighter, he’s gone from award-winner to tone-setter.

He’s playing with a purpose that goes beyond personal accolades. He’s the heartbeat of a team chasing history, and he’s doing it in the most demanding stage of all.

What’s perhaps most impressive is how SGA has handled each phase of the journey with equal parts humility and hunger. His playoff run has been defined not just by numbers, but by moments – dagger shots, crafty finishes, fourth-quarter takeovers, and calm in chaos. He hasn't just been great – he's been inevitable.

A season for the ages

Gilgeous-Alexander’s latest performance gave him over 3,000 total points on the season – combining regular-season and playoff scoring – another milestone in a campaign already overflowing with them.

To put this into perspective: he could complete the kind of six-for-six checklist that only a handful of players in NBA history have even dreamed of – league scoring champion, regular-season MVP, All-NBA First Team, Western Conference Finals MVP, NBA champion, and Finals MVP – all in a single season.

Each of those achievements alone is significant. Together, they form a portrait of a transcendent season – the kind of year that defines legacies and reshapes the league’s power structure.

The Thunder’s rise from rebuilding team to Finals frontrunner has been sudden to some, but internally, it’s been calculated and patient. Still, without Gilgeous-Alexander, their timeline likely looks different. He’s the player who made their future arrive early – and now, he might be the one who delivers their first title since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City.

Beyond the numbers

What sets Gilgeous-Alexander apart, especially in this Finals run, is not just what he’s doing – it’s how he’s doing it.

His game is quiet but surgical. He doesn’t overpower defenders with brute strength or dazzle with deep threes. Instead, he picks his spots, manipulates angles, and imposes his rhythm. There’s a jazz-like quality to his game – unpredictable, fluid, yet meticulously controlled.

In clutch time, he’s been near automatic. Whether it’s using his footwork to dance into mid-range jumpers or drawing contact for crucial free throws, SGA has been the ultimate closer for a Thunder team that continues to rise to every challenge.

It’s that unselfishness, combined with his relentless work ethic and stoic demeanor, that has endeared him to teammates and fans alike. There’s an old soul quality to SGA’s approach – a maturity that belies his age and a leadership style rooted in accountability, not noise.

The final step

Now just three wins away from basketball immortality, Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder find themselves on the brink of a championship. But the job’s not finished.

The NBA Finals will shift to the opposing city for Games 3 and 4, where the pressure will mount, the crowd will roar louder, and the resistance will tighten. The margins will be razor-thin. But if this postseason has shown anything, it’s that Gilgeous-Alexander has the heart, the game, and the will to push through.

This run has already carved his name into the record books. What comes next could define the start of SGA and the Thunder’s era.

And for a Thunder team guided by youth and galvanized by Shai’s leadership, the future isn’t just bright — it’s arriving right now.