Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Wins MVP Ahead of Western Conference Finals: Report
The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are set to clash in the Western Conference Finals, with OKC looking to return to the NBA Finals and defend its championship.
They’ll have a tough matchup, as Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs defeated them in four of their five meetings this past season. However, OKC is battle-tested and features Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has continued to display his high level of basketball skills throughout the past season and this postseason.
According to ESPN’s NBA insider, Shams Charania (via sources), SGA is also set to receive his second-straight Most Valuable Player award.
This past season, Oklahoma City’s top player averaged 31.3 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game. He also shot 55.3 percent from the floor and helped lead the Thunder to a No. 1 seed in the NBA Playoffs.
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Charania also indicated that the Thunder star becomes the 14th player in league history to win back-to-back MVPs. Some of the others on that list include basketball legends such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell.
The most recent player to achieve that feat is an active opponent: Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. However, he’s no longer battling for a chance at another championship.
After a brilliant season, SGA’s performance remained strong throughout the NBA Playoffs, though he scored less than his typical numbers against the Lakers in OKC’s recent sweep. In one game, he remained on the bench for significant stretches of time due to foul trouble.
In these 2026 playoffs, he’s averaging 29.1 points and 7.1 assists, which is his highest-career assist average in the postseason. He’s also remained extremely efficient, shooting 51.4 percent from the field, the best of his career in the playoffs.
His excellence on the court will certainly be necessary against a hungry Spurs team. San Antonio recently finished off a challenging opponent in Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves, 4-2 in the Western Conference Semifinals.
While OKC swept both the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers in their first two playoff series, it would be shocking to see them continue their winning streak and sweep this Spurs team.
They are a rising power in the NBA, thanks to Wemby, Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and other talented members of their roster.
The current odds suggest that the Oklahoma City Thunder are the favorites to win the WFC and the NBA Finals, which is certainly a credit to SGA’s brilliance as a now two-time NBA MVP.
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This story was originally published May 17, 2026 at 1:56 PM.