Oklahoma guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) poses for a photo shoot during Thunder media day at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Masterclass Helps Surpass Kevin Durant

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 11:29 PM ET

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is off to another MVP-caliber start in 2025-2026.

As he racked up a 50-point outing against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night, the reigning MVP surpassed Kevin Durant on his franchise’s 50-point game leaderboard.

via @nbastats: SGA totals his FIFTH 50+ point game with OKC, tying Russell Westbrook for most in franchise history

Russell Westbrook: 5 games
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 5 games
Kevin Durant: 4 games

SGA totals his FIFTH 50+ point game with OKC, tying Russell Westbrook for most in franchise history

Russell Westbrook: 5 games
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 5 games
Kevin Durant: 4 games https://t.co/4kXjDLNKRA pic.twitter.com/Ml1RKMIGXr
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) October 24, 2025

Where Does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Rank in NBA History

A 50-point outing is no small feat. In the history of the game, fewer than 170 players have achieved that at least once.

Gilgeous-Alexander securing his fifth on Thursday against the Pacers places him tied for 14th on the all-time NBA list. He’s alongside current stars such as Jayson Tatum and Bradley Beal.

The Thunder superstar currently trails Bob Pettit, Pete Maravich, Adrian Dantley, and Kyrie Irving.

Since the 2022-2023 season, Gilgeous-Alexander has been a dominant scorer in the league. He made the jump from averaging 24.5 points to 31.4 points per game. For three straight seasons, he averaged over 30 points. Last year, Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game.

Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Earning the scoring crown certainly helped SGA take home the league’s MVP award. He scored at that rate while averaging 51 percent from the field and 37 percent from beyond the arc. He also averaged 6.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game throughout the year.

Leading up to Thursday’s double-overtime thriller, Gilgeous-Alexander had a 35-point outing under his belt from OKC’s battle against the Houston Rockets.

In that matchup, the Thunder got off to an exhausting start to the year, engaging in another double-overtime battle. While the Thunder got Houston's best shot, the champions proved that they weren't willing to have their ring night spoiled on their home court as they took care of business.

via @realapp: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has the most free throws attempts in the first 2 games of a season ever (40).

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has the most free throws attempts in the first 2 games of a season ever (40). pic.twitter.com/7X7EvRCIEc
— Real Sports (@realapp) October 24, 2025

Against the Pacers, SGA checked in for 45 minutes. He shot 15-31 from the field, and knocked down 23 out of 26 free throws. He finished the game with 55 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block. The Thunder were victorious, defeating the Pacers 141-135.

The NBA champions move to 2-0 on the season. They’ll get Friday off, before returning to action on Saturday night to face the Atlanta Hawks.