Thunder guard and reigning Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has added another accolade to his collection, having earned the league’s Clutch Player of the Year Award, according to the NBA league office (Twitter link).
Gilgeous-Alexander scored a league-leading 175 points on 51.5% shooting from the field in 125.1 clutch minutes played this season. He also led the league with 52 made field goals in the clutch. He played 52.3 fewer minutes in clutch situations than Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who ranked second in the NBA with 166 total points.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA with 16 go-ahead field goals in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime this season, including a game-winning step-back three-pointer versus Denver on March 9. The Thunder posted a 124.5 offensive rating and 23.8 net rating during clutch time, both second-best in the NBA. Oklahoma City went 24-10 in clutch games this season.
Per the NBA’s “clutch” tracking data, Gilgeous-Alexander’s average of 6.5 points in the clutch is the best in the NBA among those who played more than one clutch game, according to The Athletic’s Joel Lorenzi.
Murray and Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards were the other finalists, but Gilgeous-Alexander was the runaway winner, gaining 96 of a possible 100 first-place votes from a media panel. Murray narrowly beat out Edwards for second place — while the Wolves star showed up on more total ballots, Murray held the edge in second-place votes and was the runner-up by a single voting point (117 to 116).
A total of 10 players received votes. The full results can be found here.
This is the fourth season that the league has given out a Clutch Player of the Year award. Knicks guard Jalen Brunson won it last season and finished fifth in this year’s vote.
OKC is the #1 seed without SGA. He isnt valuable, he isnt clutch, all of his awards are fraudulent. SGA is the gamblers’ choice, period.
You just hate greatness. His clutch numbers were way higher than his peers. Just wait until Shai wins MVP
Of course he will “win” MVP, the big gambling companies are forcing the voters to vote for him, even though OKC is #1 and DEN has 1 good player aside from Joker – which proves he is the true MVP of the league, and has been since 2020. Joker should have 6 MVPs in row right now.
I knew you were a Nuggets fan
I’m a Warriors fan. I am also a Joker fan, because I respect true greatness…so I do not respect SGA. I’ve hated a lot of MVP picks, fwiw – Harden, Russ, Embiid to name a few.
As a Warriors fan, it was infuriating watching the voters openly refuse to vote for KD or Steph, and each one of them should have won the MVP’s Harden+Russ won, because Steph and KD really were the most valuable players, they should have both been named MVP in a tie all 3 years they played together – because that’s what VALUE is.
“Clutch” numbers, but the games are all blowouts, suuurrree…
Not all of them. In the clutch games that did happen he closed out the game not with FTs but shots
No way they keep a 65ish win pace without SGA all year man.
So you have no respect for that roster, huh? Chet sucks, actually! 13 guys with 1+ Win Share, the most in many years, and 9 guys with 1+ VORP, but sure, they aren’t going to be a good team without 1 guy! lmao! YDKB – replace SGA with Podz and this is a 60+ win team.
They’d get to the 50s but not 65 and not a championship.
If you think they win last year without SGA then, as you LOVE to tell people, YDKB.
They barely won with SGA lol Pacers were so close! Small samples tho.
Close doesn’t count.
Comical, how many close games did the thunder even play?
Exactly.
Perhaps this suggests Jokic is winning the mvp.
He literally led the league in clutch pts… pretty sad if your argument is that and others couldn’t do more than him in other stats. Every game they went to OT or close he was a big factor.
Plus, how many games did Jalen Williams miss this season? We already touched on this, Davey J. Aside from Jaylen Brown (whom I’ve got second in MVP), how many other MVP candidates were missing their #2/sidekick for as long as SGA was this season? All eyes were on him so many damn times in the 4th quarter. Some guys don’t like that responsibility (i.e. – 2010, 2018 LeBron [bailed on Cavs after each season….do they really wanna bring him back a third time?)…2026 Giannis; post Dame [tbd]). 2007 Kobe ALMOST bailed on the Lakers – credit to Jerry West for helping prevent that blemish on his legacy.
All eyes on you…did you come through? So far, yes, for SGA – make the ‘yes’ all CAPS if they repeat.
“Sidekick”? Huh? Chet is his #2 + OKC have the deepest roster in the league by a million miles + barely any OKC games were even close in the 4Q + OKC went 8-4 without SGA = your point is not based in fact.
Key 2025-26 Clutch Stats (SGA/Thunder):
Total Clutch Record: 20-7
Total Clutch Points (SGA): 175 (1st in NBA)
Clutch Field Goals Made (SGA): 52 (1st in NBA)
Team Net Rating (Clutch): +93 point differential while SGA was on the floor
No.1 foul Hunter.
At best he’s number 3. Luka and Avdija averaged more attempts per game.
For a small stretch maybe. Shai is the free throw king. Dude can literally jump laterally straight in to someone and it’s a foul. He the GOAT of the whistle and seen some favourable ones in my time.
Dude can’t shoot
55% shooting by the way highest among guards…sorry he doesn’t just jack up 3s and takes mid range shots. 38% from 3…Curry shot 39%
clutch in what shooting free throws what a joke
Hitting free throws is the epitome of clutch. That’s how winners close out games.
SGA wins this award. Means he’s not getting MVP.
The Joker —-
SGA is best 2way guard in the game. Only guard who comes close is Cade. Stop hating.
We hate because his stats are skewed due to free throws he gets that no one else in the league gets, especially Steph Curry, period. SGA is one Harden+Russ+CP3’s tier but he has a ring thanks to having the longest bench in the NBA.
He earns them. He goes iso more than most. Yes he gets calls. That’s what happens when you put pressure on refs.