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Warriors were furious over the calls Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Jan 4, 2026 10:36 PM ET

The Golden State Warriors were fuming over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander getting what appeared to be a favorable whistle during Friday’s game.

The Thunder beat the Warriors 131-94 at Chase Center on Friday, but the Warriors certainly seemed to feel that the officiating left a great deal to be desired. At one point late in the first quarter, coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors bench were both appalled at a foul Gilgeous-Alexander drew against Golden State’s Al Horford.

Horford seemingly never made contact with Gilgeous-Alexander, and if there was any contact, Gilgeous-Alexander was arguably the one who initiated it. The Thunder star got the call anyway, though.

The Warriors are going INSANE over Shai’s whistle!!

He jumps in the air, isn’t touched, then KICKS THE DEFENDER- Is REWARDED with free-throws!! Since the 90’s fans are turning off the NBA in droves ️️️

This is a JOKE pic.twitter.com/a7vCAluuL1
— HeroOfTheDay (@Hero_OfThe_Day) January 3, 2026

Gilgeous-Alexander’s critics would say this is par for the course. The reigning MVP has been dubbed a “free throw merchant” before, though he maintains he does not care about the label. There are other players that also don’t think the label is justified.

SGA scored 30 points in the blowout victory. He went 7-for-7 from the line, so in this game, at least, he did plenty of scoring from elsewhere.

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

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