The Oklahoma City Thunder picked up an important road victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center on Monday night, gaining a 3–1 edge in the Western Conference finals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put on an MVP-worthy display on the road, dropping 40 points and flirting with a triple-double, adding 10 assists and nine rebounds. Despite some raucous boos from Timberwolves fans, the 26-year-old was able to overcome the hostile environment and lead his team to a win.
After the game, Gilgeous-Alexander was asked about playing the villain role when the Thunder are on the road, and he explained why he enjoys it.
"It's super fun. It's more fun than like––I don't know about more fun, but it's pretty up there with being at home. The whole building's against you, chanting whatever they're chanting, screaming whatever they're screaming, and it's your job to go out there and play basketball and kind of shut them up. It's definitely fun, it definitely adds more to the game. I enjoy it for sure," Gilgeous-Alexander said.
"It's super fun. ... The whole building's against you. ... It's your job to go out there, play basketball and kinda shut them up. ... I enjoy it for sure."
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 27, 2025
—SGA on being the villain on the road 👀 pic.twitter.com/3WieZVOLFG
Gilgeous-Alexander had a quiet Game 3 in what was Oklahoma City's first road game in the series against Minnesota. He bounced back in a big way on Monday, putting the Thunder within one win of reaching the NBA Finals.
The series will shift back to the Paycom Center for Game 5, with tipoff set for 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 28.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Explains Why He Likes Playing the Villain Role on the Road.
