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NBA Makes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Announcement Regarding Major Award

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Nathaniel Holloway | Last updated May 29, 2025 12:07 AM ET

The Oklahoma City Thunder were at home on Wednesday night as they hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

Oklahoma City entered Wednesday’s contest looking to clinch the series and advance to the NBA Finals with a victory, and that is exactly what they were able to do.

The Thunder had a hot start to the game as they outscored the Timberwolves 26-9 in the first quarter and they never looked back, grabbing a dominant 124-94 victory.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way for the Thunder in Game 5 as he finished the victory with 34 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.

Chet Holmgren also had an incredible performance with 22 points and seven rebounds while Jalen Williams added 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists of his own in the victory.

After the Thunder’s victory in Game 5, the NBA made a major announcement regarding Shai.

The NBA announced that Shai has been named the 2025 Western Conference Finals MVP and has been awarded the Magic Johnson Trophy.

ANOTHER MVP FOR SGA

Shai dominated in the Western Conference finals to capture his first Magic Johnson Trophy! pic.twitter.com/P9JBBPZOaZ
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 29, 2025

This is an incredible accomplishment for Shai as he now adds to his trophy case on the season that already saw him named regular season MVP.

During the Western Conference Finals, Shai averaged 31.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 45.7% from the field and 31.8% from three-point range.

This was a well-deserved award for Shai but it was a complete team effort for Oklahoma City as they continue to show why they are one of the deepest teams in the NBA outside of their star trio of Shai, Williams and Holmgren.

Shai and the Thunder still await the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks as who they will face off against in the NBA Finals which begin on June 5 on ESPN.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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