Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (quad contusion) and forward Jalen Williams (ankle sprain) are both listed as out for Wednesday night’s road game against the Boston Celtics.
Gilgeous-Alexander, 25, has missed three of OKC’s last four games, including Tuesday night’s 109-105 loss to Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. This will be only his fifth contest missed overall this season.
In February, Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams became the first pair of Thunder teammates to tally back-to-back games with at least 30 points since Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant in 2013.
Per a few NBA betting sites, Gilgeous-Alexander holds second-shortest odds behind Nikola Jokic to win MVP. Sportsbooks are still showing Luka Doncic in the top three.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams are both OUT vs the Celtics tonight.
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) April 3, 2024
Jalen Williams, 22, was also absent at Philadelphia. This will be Williams’ ninth contest missed overall. Through 67 games (all starts), he’s averaging career highs of 19.5 points, 4.6 assists, and 31.7 minutes, along with 4.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.
Gilgeous-Alexander is on pace for his second career All-NBA First-Team selection. Through 71 games (all starts), the two-time All-Star is averaging 30.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and career highs of 6.3 assists and 2.1 steals per contest while shooting a career-best 53.9% from the field.
The University of Kentucky product notched a season-high 43 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 8 and at the Sacramento Kings on Dec. 14. He has five 40-point games this season.
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on pace to join Michael Jordan for an NBA record
Moreover, Gilgeous-Alexander is still on pace to finish with the third season in NBA history with averages of at least 31 points, six assists, and two steals per game on 50% shooting from the field.
Michael Jordan holds the league’s all-time record for the two other seasons. In the 1988-89 season, the Chicago Bulls legend averaged 32.5 points, 8.0 assists, and 2.9 steals per contest on 53.8% shooting.
In the following season, His Airness averaged 33.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 2.8 steals on 52.6% shooting. Jordan averaged a career-high 37.1 points per game in the 1986-87 season.
Game day in Boston ⚡
️
🆚️@celtics
📍 Boston
⏰ 6:30PM CT
📺 @BallySportsOK
📻 @sportsanimal #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/NWbD1ia74f— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 3, 2024
Additionally, Gilgeous-Alexander is the 13th different player in NBA history to register at least 50 30-point games in a season. The six-year veteran is the first to do it since James Harden in 2018-19.
For interesting betting trends, the Thunder are 4-9 in their past 13 matchups with the Celtics. OKC is 8-2 against the spread in its last 10 road games at TD Garden as well. The club is 23-15 away this season.
The Thunder (52-23) have the same record as the Minnesota Timberwolves. Both teams trail the top-seeded Denver Nuggets (53-23) by half a game in the Western Conference standings.
NBA sportsbooks show OKC as a heavy 10.5-point underdog at Boston. Per ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the Celtics hold an 87.2% chance of defeating the Thunder.
