Game 1 of the 2025 Western Conference Finals was Tuesday night in Oklahoma City. Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves were on the road to face Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder.
Despite a poor shooting performance in the first half, SGA was clutch for the Thunder over the last two quarters. He finished with a game-high 31 points to lead OKC to a 114-88 victory. On Wednesday, The Athletic reported that the NBA is expected to announce the 2024-25 MVP award. Barring major change, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should win.
How far can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander carry OKC in the postseason?
Sources say the NBA is expected to finally announce the MVP award on Wednesday, and it would be nothing short of a shocker if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t the one being handed the trophy.
His spectacular second half spurred the Thunder to a series-opening victory. pic.twitter.com/ZvQUZzrIhj
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 21, 2025
In the 2024-25 season, there was a two-way race for league MVP. The battle was between Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver’s Nikola Jokic. During the regular season, SGA played in 76 of OKC’s 82 games. He led the NBA, averaging 32.7 points per game, along with 5.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks. It was his third consecutive season averaging 30+ points per game for the Thunder.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in MVP voting last season to Denver’s Nikola Jokic. That was the Joker’s third MVP award in four seasons. In 2024-25, Jokic played in 70 of the Nuggets’ 82 games. He averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, along with a career-high 10.2 assists, and 1.8 steals. Despite Jokic averaging a triple-double at center, he likely will finish second.
That’s because of voter fatigue in the NBA. Those with the power do not want to give Jokic his fourth MVP in the last five seasons. They would rather see a player like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander win his first award. The NBA likely did not want to hand out the MVP award in the Denver vs. OKC series. They’ve waited until the Conference Finals to announce it. According to The Athletic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to win the 2024-25 MVP award on Wednesday.
