What does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander think about sitting out fourth quarters for OKC Thunder?
The only thing that can keep Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wrapped up is a pile of towels.
The most lethal scorer in the basketball world can usually be seen draped in them down the stretch of OKC’s games this season. Sometimes they’re spread across his shoulders. Sometimes they’re spread across his lap. Sometimes it’s both.
But it’s some combination more often than not for Gilgeous-Alexander, who regularly sits out entire fourth quarters. It’s the perk of playing on one of the most dominant teams in NBA history.
And yet Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t have any towels on him during the fourth quarter of against Sacramento on Wednesday. He didn’t want anything weighing him down in case his number was called, as the Kings stayed within striking distance.
Sure enough, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault made the call as his team led by 11 points with 7:40 remaining. And Gilgeous-Alexander sprang into action, leaping from his seat and jogging to the scorer’s table. It was time for the reigning MVP to go back to work, and he did exactly that by adding another five points and three boards the rest of the way to help OKC secure a 113-99 win.
“We just did a good job of doing whatever it took to win tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “The game presents a challenge every night and looks different. Some nights, the challenge is bigger than the others. But your goal at the end of the night is to win.”
OKC (15-1) has managed to make challenging nights look not so challenging.
After posting the best average scoring margin in NBA history last season (12.9), the Thunder is somehow winning games even more convincingly this time around. Despite dealing with numerous injuries and receiving the best shot from opposing teams, who are desperate to knock out the reigning champs, OKC boasts an average scoring margin of 15.4 points.
That has allowed Gilgeous-Alexander, the second-highest scorer in the NBA at 32 points per game, to sit out the entire fourth quarter nine times. None of the league’s other top 50 scorers have sat out more than four fourth quarters.
“We’re just reading the games in those cases,” Daigneault said of Gilgeous-Alexander’s frequent fourth-quarter sittings. “It’s certainly not something that you plan on. You don’t know how a game is going to unfold. … It’s not something we’re forcing or seeking out.”
Daigneault doesn’t seek those opportunities out, although he welcomes them when they present themselves.
The obvious benefit is extra rest for Gilgeous-Alexander, who played in 99 total games during OKC’s title run and hasn’t missed a game yet this season. He even logged 92 combined minutes during the Thunder’s first two contests, which were both double-overtime wins.
But resting Gilgeous-Alexander and other starters also gives more opportunities for backups to develop. It gives Ajay Mitchell time to run a unit. It gives Aaron Wiggins time to operate as a top scoring option. It gives Isaiah Joe time to practice his playmaking. It gives two-way players time to get NBA experience.
On a deep team where minutes are difficult to distribute, there’s no such thing as garbage time. Every second is invaluable.
“We’ve been able to preserve some of our higher-minute guys in those situations,” Daigneault said. “We take advantage of those situations not only for their health and freshness but also for the development of the other players that we’re able to get minutes for. … That’s all something that’s a benefit.”
Of course, Gilgeous-Alexander also delivers when his late-game services are needed.
The 27-year-old superstar has played in the fourth quarter during seven games, and six of those contests included clutch time. That’s defined by the NBA as the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is within five points.
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 9.3 clutch points per game this season, which leads the NBA. And he hasn’t committed a turnover throughout the nearly 39 combined minutes.
Gilgeous-Alexander consistently steps up as the league’s best closer. But if he can stay off of his feet, that’s also fine by him.
It’s all just a matter of whether OKC opts to keep him under wraps.
“Whatever the game calls for, you adjust to it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But it’s definitely nice to save the legs and rest a little bit, for sure.”
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
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