The NBA Community Reacts to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Streak
The NBA community is still reeling from Bam Adebayo’s recent unforgettable performance, and just as the excitement dies down, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is set to etch his name deeper into basketball lore. As Halloween approaches in 2024, the San Antonio Spurs managed a rare feat: they restricted the prolific scorer to under 20 points, specifically to 18—an unusual occurrence for Gilgeous-Alexander, who now stands on the brink of breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s historic record for the most consecutive games with at least 20 points. Remarkably, this streak stretches back over 126 games, and it began before star player Cooper Flagg even embarked on his collegiate career at Duke.
Insights into Gilgeous-Alexander’s Scoring Prowess
To fully grasp the significance of Gilgeous-Alexander’s current streak and MVP credentials, let’s explore seven fascinating insights into his scoring prowess:
- An Unmatched Streak: Gilgeous-Alexander’s current stretch of scoring 20 or more points surpasses the combined efforts of the next two highest active scoring streaks, held by Kawhi Leonard and Joel Embiid, not to mention it eclipses the next eleven players together. Leonard has maintained a streak of 43 games, while Embiid has come through in 24. The total of those active streaks only amounts to 124 games—still 2 games short of Gilgeous-Alexander’s total.
- Limited Fourth Quarter Play: Interestingly, Gilgeous-Alexander has not participated in about one-third of his team’s fourth quarters during this impressive stretch due to the Thunder’s overwhelming leads. Specifically, he has sat out 39 fourth quarters, which amplifies the enormity of his accomplishment. Most players typically rely on the entire game to reach the 20-point mark, yet he has excelled even while playing only a fraction of the game time.
- First Three Quarters Lead: In an astonishing statistic, Gilgeous-Alexander has managed to secure at least 20 points by the end of the third quarter nearly 90% of the time during his streak—113 out of 126 games. This remarkable efficiency indicates how truly dominant he has been on the court, rarely letting his scoring threaten his streak in the final quarter.
- Curry’s Streak Compared: Even the legendary Stephen Curry, one of the highest-scoring players in NBA history, would still fall short of Gilgeous-Alexander’s current run, even if he were to string 100 games to his longest streak, which stands at a mere 23 games of 20 points. This highlights the consistency and unique scoring tactics that SGA utilizes, favoring two-point shots over the three-pointers that Curry relies on more heavily.
- Three-Quarter Scoring Streak: Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 or more points by the end of the third quarter for 26 consecutive games—outpacing the full-game scoring streaks of several NBA stars, including Curry, Mitchell, and Ja Morant.
- Comparison with Team Records: In an astounding revelation, SGA’s personal streak surpasses the best active team record for any team having at least one player reach 20 points in a game. The New Orleans Pelicans currently hold the longest team streak, managing to have a 20-point scorer in 67 games this season—far short of Gilgeous-Alexander’s individual achievement.
- Wizards’ Struggles: To add perspective to this remarkable streak, this season, the Washington Wizards achieved their longest games streak of 20-point performances at just 12 games. Thus, Gilgeous-Alexander’s individual achievement completely dwarfs that of the entire Wizards roster for an entire season.
Conclusion
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring streak is not just a statistic; it’s an extraordinary testament to his skill, consistency, and the tremendous impact he has had on the game. With every passing game, he inches closer to history, leaving fans and analysts alike in awe of his talent.
