The Los Angeles Clippers came up with an important victory on Thursday night as they took down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Crypto.com Arena. Kawhi Leonard went off with a vintage performance in the absence of the injured Paul George, and it resulted in a win that saw the Clippers climb to the No. 5 spot in the West.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander talked to the press about what it means to him to be back in LA. When asked to share his thoughts on the warm welcome he received from the Clippers fans, SGA had nothing but praise for his former fanbase:

“I can always feel the love when I come back and it feels good,” Shai said. “Fans are what make this game a whole lot more fun. No matter where they're from, I'm always gonna be appreciative of them.”

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Clippers Kawhi Leonard with speech bubble "I'm back" with Mavericks Luka Doncic smaller in background.

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Before becoming the cornerstone star in OKC, Shai started off his career with the Clippers. He played his rookie year in LA before the Clippers traded him to the Thunder as part of the Paul George deal. Despite his brief stint in LA, it is clear that Gilgeous-Alexander still holds happy memories from his time with the Clippers.

Right now, though, Shai is focused on helping his Thunder achieve its objectives this season. Thursday's loss means that OKC is now in a four-way tie with the Dallas Mavericks, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. It's SGA's Thunder, however, that have fallen out of the Play-In picture now that they're 11th in the West.