Shai Gilgeous Alexander was on the receiving end of effusive praise from Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Chet Holmgren for his masterclass performance versus the Dallas Mavericks in their Western Conference semifinal series.
The point guard led by example with 20 of his team's last 30 points in the Game 4 encounter as they eventually prevailed with a hard-fought 100-96 victory. The Canadian stunned the spectators at American Airlines Center with a virtuoso showing on the road, with the win bringing the Thunder level in the series.
The 25-year-old supplied 34 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals en route to the triumph, with 10 points and 4 assists coming in the fourth quarter. With the scores now 2-2 for the series, the importance of the result was not lost on the talismanic Gilgeous Alexander in the aftermath either.
The Thunder appeared to be heading for a third loss versus their rivals, as the home team led proceedings by six points with 9:30 left on the clock. However, Gilgeous Alexander showed nerves of steel as he produced what he later reflected on as a performance that will go down as "probably the most meaningful game [he has] played in [his] career".
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The all-encompassing display from the Oklahoma City fan favorite even left his own colleagues in awe, with center Chet Holmgren joining in with some plaudits at the end of the game. He confessed: "There's some points in the game I'm doing the same thing you guys are doing.
"Just kind of being a fan of what he's doing and, when some of those shots go in, just kind of making a face like, 'That's crazy'. But he's been doing it all year. I've seen him do it since I got here, and that's just who he is. Tough-shot maker, but he does a lot more out there for us than just that."
Likewise, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault waxed lyrical about the contributions of the superstar to a pivotal win in the series. He acknowledged: "He obviously took that thing by the horns there late, but he had an unbelievable blend and really found his teammates on a lot of plays.
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"And continued to find them. The shot Chet hit, the shot Lu hit that he sprayed to them -- that's him passing the ball in critical time. Down 2-1 in the fourth quarter, and the team is shooting 20-something percent from 3, that's just unbelievable trust and confidence for him to rise to that in that moment. And for a young, ambitious star player, I was blown away by those plays."
Reflecting on a memorable performance, the man of the moment reflected: "There's a balance that you get to find. When to attack, when to pass, when to make the right play, when to not make the right play and trust your skill. It's something that I battle with a lot and try to be really good at, and a lot of great players battle with it and try to be really good at it.
"But ultimately, it just comes down to, for the most part, taking what the defense gives you and trusting your teammates," Gilgeous-Alexander confessed. "You need 'em to win at a high level. That's clear as day, and I want to win at a high level, so I have no option."
Mavs star Luka Doncic also admitted of the opposition ace: "He was unbelievable. He kept making shots, and maybe at some point we got to send double-teams. He's just too good," before assessing his own team's performance, acknowledging: "It's unacceptable. We got to be better."
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