Patrick Reusse: Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shows that he's a deserving MVP

MINNEAPOLIS — The crowd at Target Center on Monday night was announced at 19,250, and the ticketholders were allowed to see greatness firsthand. The response for a large majority of those witnesses was to boo that individual loudly at most every turn.

Coach Chris Finch’s Timberwolves were facing that greatness in a Game 4 that either would put them back into this series or basically seal their fate as Western Conference runners-up for the second straight season.

Finch’s reaction was to spend the first half complaining to the nearest referee — usually Bill Kennedy — so incessantly that our guy Finchy came off as ridiculous, even from the distance of a half-arena away.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the 6-6 guard who was able to show off the NBA’s MVP Award to the Oklahoma City fan base last week, shook off the Wolves’ defensive efforts that allowed open 3-pointers for his teammates and totaled 40 points in the Thunder’s 128-126 victory.

There was some thought that the MVP should have once again gone to Denver’s Nikola Jokic with his gaudy statistics, but there’s also a bottom line that great players on big winners traditionally get the nod for this regular-season award.

That favored Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City, 68-14, to Nikola’s 50-32 on a team that fired its coach near the end of the schedule. And when Jokic and Denver were able to push the Thunder to a Game 7 in the second round, Oklahoma City blew ‘em out 125-93, with Jokic and the other Nuggets starters retreating to the bench early.

On Saturday, Gilgeous-Alexander went 4 for 13 from the field, scored 14 points and sat much of the fourth quarter as the Wolves cruised to a 143-101 victory. The level of panic over this with the Thunder was zero, just as it was against Denver.

The main reason for this was Gilgeous-Alexander. It seems clear that the 26-year-old doesn’t get rattled by off nights. And he certainly doesn’t get rattled by hostile crowds filling an arena with boos when he touches the ball, as well as chants intended as ridicule.

“Free-throw merchant” was a nickname aimed at Gilgeous-Alexander by TV analyst Doris Burke. It might have been a semi-salute to a player with an ability to get to the line, but rivals and opposing fans have aimed the phrase at him in a derogatory fashion.

Actually, it was somewhat impressive that the Wolves audience was alert enough to chant that at Gilgeous-Alexander on Saturday night — and again Monday.

Target Center’s hoops hipsters will be pleased to learn that Gilgeous-Alexander was among those enjoying the taunts. Asked in the postgame interview room after Monday’s victory how he handled being an opposing crowd’s “villain,” he said:

“It’s super fun. It’s pretty much like being home, [except] the whole building’s against you … chanting whatever they are chanting, screaming whatever they are screaming.

“It’s definitely fun and definitely adds more to the game. Yeah, I enjoy it.”

He also pointed out that there have been seasons when he has shot more free throws. It has become more of an issue — to the point of controversy — with the Thunder winning in such a dominant fashion.

The 40 points Monday included 12 for 14 at the line, including 5 for 6 in the final 15 seconds as the Wolves had to prevent Oklahoma City from running out the clock.

At game’s end, two younger locals with media credentials were encountered in the lower hallway and were overheard complaining about “those refs.” And as Finch lobbied incessantly with Kennedy and Co. in the first half, the Wolves actually were called for fewer fouls than Oklahoma City.

Big difference in this one: 95 points for Oklahoma City’s Big Three of Gilgeous-Alexander (40), Jalen Williams (34) and Chet Holmgren (21); and 43 for the Wolves’ Big Three of Anthony Edwards (16), Julius Randle (five) and Jaden McDaniels (22).

Thanks for showing up, Jaden, along with Nickeil Alexander-Walker (23 points) and Donte DiVincenzo (21) — otherwise it wouldn’t have been close enough even for the “free-throw merchant” crowd to stick to the whining about those refs.

Guess what? Gilgeous-Alexander needed no favorable whistle for his brilliance Monday night, and he’s also a class act in passing around credit.

Asked about Holmgren and Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander said: “They still have so much room to grow, which is the scary part. They are 23 and 24; I’m 26, which seems old compared to those two.

“They haven’t even come close to their prime yet. Both are just out there playing off their feel and their talent. I’m excited for the future.”

Gilgeous-Alexander also had this odd theory on the embarrassing 42-point loss two nights earlier:

“Last game was good for us, in understanding that the most important thing is what’s in front of you. We were a little lackadaisical and comfortable last game, and we got beat the way we did. That will help for sure.

“To beat a team like this, it’s going to take a lot of hard minutes.”

As for his cousin, Alexander-Walker, he said:

“He was really good tonight; seemed like he barely missed. I’m not surprised by that.”

Not surprised, having played with or against his cousin his whole life.

So go ahead, with the incessant boos and chants when he’s back here next season, but know that Gilgeous-Alexander kind of enjoys the noise. All the racket makes it feel like home.

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