There’s only embarrassment for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after winning the NBA MVP award.
The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar is getting booed, Anthony Edwards is dunking over him and he has no place to hide. Especially after his humbling performance in Game 3 without his usual free throws.
The Thunder faced a significant defeat in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves, losing 143-101. This marked the worst playoff loss in franchise history for them and resulted in their series lead dropping to 2-1.
The whole arena chanting “FREE THROW MERCHANT” at SGA 😭pic.twitter.com/WbczU5AKrr
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) May 25, 2025
Despite playing a key role in leading OKC to the Finals, Gilgeous-Alexander only managed to score 14 points and provide six assists. Jalen Williams contributed 13 points and four rebounds, while Chet Holmgren added 10 points and five rebounds.
However, during the second quarter, the Wolves crowd went electric. They kept shouting “free throw merchant” at the top of their breath.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Opens Up After Game 3 Defeat
During the Thunder’s Saturday night defeat, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a particularly disappointing performance. With his below-20 scoring, Shai went along with two rebounds, six assists, and one block.
He struggled with his shooting, making just 4 of 13 attempts from the field and 2 of 5 from beyond the arc during 28 minutes of play.
This marked Gilgeous-Alexander’s lowest scoring game since March 2024, as noted by Real Sports. In his post-game interview, SGA reflected on the team’s lack of energy and focus.
“We just didn’t bring it from an energy and focus standpoint… We just didn’t have it… They blitzed us pretty early, and then we were never able to get back because of it. They just came out with a sense of urgency, and we didn’t,” he said.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s performance was particularly surprising given his impressive regular season statistics. He averaged 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks while shooting 51.9% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range in 76 games.
Historically, such a loss is rare for an MVP. According to OptaSTATS, only three instances in NBA history have seen a season’s MVP lose by 42 or more points. All of these events occurred in the playoffs against Minnesota teams.
