MIN 123, OKC 111: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Notches 47.2 Yahoo FP
Kwame Asante
Junior Accountant ยท Oklahoma City Thunder fan
Wolves Hold Off Shai's MVP Encore in Close One
The Shai Gilgeous-Alexander show rolled into Minnesota on Thursday and nearly stole the game solo. The reigning MVP dropped 30/6/8 on efficient shooting (12-18 FG), posting 47.2 Yahoo FP. Problem is, that's still 2 points below his season average. The Timberwolves' defense schemed him up enough to win 123-111, which honestly feels like a minor upset given how clean Shai's night was. He'll have worse shooting nights and still drop 50 fantasy points. This is just him being normal.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 53.0 | 47.2 | 30/6/8 | 32.0/4.4/6.2 | -2.0 |
| Anthony Edwards | 51.0 | 45.5 | 26/5/5 | 29.3/5.2/3.7 | -3.3 |
| Julius Randle | 42.0 | 39.5 | 13/5/5 | 22.2/6.9/5.3 | -9.2 |
| Jaden McDaniels | 47.0 | 35.8 | 21/4/4 | 14.8/4.4/2.9 | +6.2 |
| Chet Holmgren | 41.0 | 35.0 | 15/5/2 | 17.8/8.6/1.6 | -2.8 |
| Rudy Gobert | 35.0 | 34.7 | 14/11/3 | 10.9/11.2/1.7 | +3.1 |
| Donte DiVincenzo | 34.0 | 32.5 | 11/5/5 | 13.2/4.6/4.2 | -2.2 |
| Naz Reid | 33.0 | 30.4 | 18/7/2 | 14.6/6.3/2.4 | +3.4 |
| Aaron Wiggins | 26.0 | 25.3 | 10/4/5 | 10.5/3.4/1.9 | -0.5 |
| Isaiah Joe | 28.0 | 25.1 | 6/3/3 | 9.6/2.5/1.4 | -3.6 |
The Wolves got their win by committee approach working. Anthony Edwards hit 26/5/5 for 45.5 Yahoo FP, slightly down from his 29.3 average but he was solid on efficiency (9-17 FG, 4 threes). Jaden McDaniels is the actual story here, though. He went absolutely nuclear for 21/4/4 on 8-11 shooting with five threes, finishing +6.2 above his season average. That's not noise. That's the kind of performance that makes you wonder if the role is finally solidifying. 31 minutes of work too, which matters.
Naz Reid put up 18/7/2 off the bench and cleared his season average by 3.4 points. Efficient night (6-10 FG), decent minutes (28), and he's now looking like more than just a reserve. Rudy Gobert did his thing as always, 14/11/3 in 34 minutes. Not flashy but he's the All-Defensive guy for a reason. Gets you 34-35 Yahoo FP consistently.
The problem player here is Julius Randle. Twelve points on 5-14 shooting in 24 minutes. That's -9.2 from his season average, and it stings because the Wolves needed more from him in a close game. If you own Randle, this is the kind of dud that makes you question whether his production is actually sustainable or if we've been catching him on good nights.
Donte DiVincenzo chipped in 32.5 Yahoo FP on a quiet night (11/5/5, 4-13 FG), so he's serviceable depth at the guard spot but nothing special.
On the Thunder side, I'm not gonna lie, this one stung. Shai did everything right but the supporting cast didn't quite hold up. Chet Holmgren finished with 15/5/2/1/3 blocks but was -2.8 vs his average. The blocks are nice but he couldn't get enough volume on the boards (5 rebounds, normally grabs 8.6). Aaron Wiggins came through with 25.3 Yahoo FP, actually outperforming his season average despite a limited role. Isaiah Joe and Isaiah Hartenstein did bits off the bench but nothing moved the needle.
Cason Wallace had an interesting night with 13 points in 25 minutes, +5.6 above his season average. He's getting run when healthy, which is something to track. Still early in his development but he's getting NBA minutes.
Look, this was a closer game than the final score suggests. Both teams got what they needed from their stars. Shai was elite. Edwards was good. The Wolves just had slightly more help around their MVP, and that mattered. If you're in a league heavy on Thunder assets, you can't panic here. If you grabbed McDaniels off waivers after a quiet stretch, hold tight because that three-ball was working.