Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
By Matt Evans
|
Last updated Mar 4, 2025 8:21 AM ET
The Oklahoma City Thunder secured their 50th win of the season on Monday night, extending their winning streak to four with a 137-128 victory over the Houston Rockets. Leading the charge, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a historic performance, erupting for 51 points—his fourth 50-point game of the season—further cementing his place among the league’s elite.
According to the NBA, Gilgeous-Alexander became just the 12th player in history to record four 50-point games in a single season, joining an exclusive group that includes Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander becomes the 12th player in NBA history to record 4+ 50-PT games in a season, joining:
Wilt Chamberlain (8x)
Michael Jordan (4x)
Elgin Baylor (3x)
James Harden (3x)
Kobe Bryant (2x)
Rick Barry
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Pete Maravich
Russell Westbrook
Damian… https://t.co/0DgRaiCAtc— NBA History (@NBAHistory) March 4, 2025
Remarkably, all four of his 50-point outings have come within the past seven weeks, a testament to his offensive dominance. The 26-year-old currently leads the NBA in scoring, averaging 32.6 points per game while shooting 37.4 percent from three. His 6.2 assists per game rank among the league’s top 15, highlighting his role as the focal point of the Thunder’s offense.
Against Houston, Gilgeous-Alexander wasted no time, dropping 20 points in the first quarter alone and reaching 45 by the end of the third. He finished the night shooting 18-of-30 from the field, knocking down five three-pointers and converting all 10 of his free throws. He also contributed five rebounds, seven assists, a steal and a block.
Jalen Williams added 24 points for Oklahoma City, as the Western Conference’s top seed took advantage of a depleted Rockets squad missing Alperen Şengun, Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Fred VanVleet and Tari Eason.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring surge has been nothing short of remarkable. After averaging 35.5 points per game in January, he shot 42.3 percent from three across 13 games in February. Since the All-Star break, his three-point shooting has surged to 50 percent on 5.4 attempts per game.
With the No. 1 seed in the West inevitable, the Thunder are in prime position to enter the playoffs as a title contender. Following last season’s second-round exit at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City will look to maintain its momentum while preserving energy for what it hopes will be a deep postseason run.
Matt Evans is a sports journalist from the United Kingdom, now based in Paris, France. He has covered various sports including basketball, soccer, boxing, MMA, and motorsports. Over the past decade, Matt has focused heavily on the NBA and has worked with many established outlets on a variety of content
More must-reads:
