If there was ever any doubt, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is arguably one of the calmest dudes to ever wear an NBA jersey.
The defending regular-season and Finals MVP had his way with the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, getting to whichever spot he wanted, and converted at such a high rate, he hit his first nine shots, all coming off relaxed, patient plays as he entered the paint.
Gilgeous-Alexander had 42 points on 15-of-18 shooting from the field and powered the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 3-0 first-round series lead against the Suns with a 121-109 victory.
Let’s get into some thoughts.
Where is Devin Booker, the superstar?
While he briefly left the game in the third quarter with a short-term ankle injury, Booker returned and maintained a pattern that’s beginning to become concerning.
Booker is widely viewed as an elite scorer and one of the best in the league, but has been only modestly active this series, scoring a grand total of 61 points over three games.
It seems pointless to fight and claw for a playoff spot, only to not assert himself as the scorer he can be.
He’s not totally ineffective. He’s been playmaking, making good reads and initiating actions off the bounce. That’s objectively positive, but the Suns need Booker to be, well, Devin Booker, elite scorer and constant threat.
OKC is playing with its food
Even without a large scoring disparity, you never really get the sense Oklahoma City is in danger. Its bench is producing, both from the perimeter and inside, and it’s fully capable of keeping things in motion until the starters come in.
There’s no sense of desperation, no rush, no panic, no sense of concern.
This team is going 80%, by design, because it’s enough. That might sound almost disrespectful to Phoenix, but in fairness, the Suns aren’t exactly challenging the Thunder.
More than likely, this won’t be the case from the second round on, so they should cherish this opportunity to not enter a new series mentally drained, even if they did lose Jalen Williams for at least a few weeks.
Jalen Green needed a good game
After he played like a rock star during the play-in tournament, Green has struggled mightily against the Thunder over the first two games, hitting just under 36% from the field and turning the ball over five times per game.
In Game 3, he got himself under control, took better shots, found himself a pace far more suited to his game and finished with 26 points, which for the Suns is a good sign for Game 4, at the very least.
OKC’s bench remains utterly ridiculous
The Thunder had 36 points off the bench to Phoenix’s 12, and it comes as no surprise.
Jaylin Williams, Cason Wallace, Jared McCain and Alex Caruso led the charge as the Thunder underlined their depth, sending a strong message to upcoming opponents later in the playoffs (because who are we kidding, here?) that you can’t relax when their secondary rotation is in.