BBNBA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Records First Career Triple-Double

Good morning, folks. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is making it really hard to keep him off the All-Star ballots. Let’s talk NBA.

REMINDER: 2020 NBA All-Star fan voting is now OPEN!

RECAP

SGA records first career triple-double

It’s no secret anymore that former Kentucky guard Shai Gilgeuos-Alexander is one of the NBA’s premier up-and-coming point guards. He can score at all three levels, plays solid all-around defense, and runs an offense like a 10-year veteran. SGA is making it harder and harder for the coaches to leave his name off the All-Star ticket as a reserve. While he might not make the final cut when it’s all said it done this season, he has several more All-Star appearances awaiting him in the future. But he’s making it as tough a decision as possible for the voters.

SGA posted his first career triple-double on Monday night in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 117-104 win over the Karl-Anthony Towns-less Minnesota Timberwolves (KAT sat out his 13th consecutive game). The former one-and-done scored 20 points but made his mark on the glass, hauling in an incredible 20 rebounds – easily a career-high – to go along with 10 assists – which tied a career-high. He shot 8-12 from the field, too.

20/20/10 from a 6-foot-5, 21-year old point guard from Canada isn’t bad, huh?

”Coach had challenged me before the game to fill up the stat sheet more and do more things,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. ”Because he thought, as well as myself thought, that I was more capable of what I was doing.”

SGA became the youngest player in NBA history to record a 20/20/10 stat line. He’s just the fourth player ever to finish with a 20-point, 20-rebound triple-double (joining a list that features Charles Barkley, Oscar Roberston, and Shaquille O’Neal).

Hamidou Diallo recorded two points and one rebound in seven minutes for the OKC Thunder while Nerlens Noel sat out his fifth straight game with a sprained ankle.

Fox’s big night comes up short

De’Aaron Fox nearly put up a triple-double performance of his own on Monday night, recording a BBNBA-high of 31 points to go along with eight rebounds and 10 assists while shooting on a 12-18 clip from the floor. Fox gave his Sacramento Kings team a one-point lead down the stretch with an and-one finish.

Unfortunately, the Orlando Magic’s Aaron Gordon tipped in a shot and was fouled with 1.1 seconds left that gave them a two-point lead and ultimately the victory over the Kings.

Other notes

• Enes Kanter posted 15 points and nine rebounds in a 113-101 win for the Boston Celtics over the Chicago Bulls.
• For the Charlotte Hornets, P.J. Washington contributed 20 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists in a 115-112 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. It marks his fourth double-double this season.

Check out the full stat sheet below.

STATISTICS

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TONIGHT IN THE NBA

7:30: Suns (Booker) @ Hawks

7:30: Jazz @ Nets

8:00 (NBATV): Rockets @ Grizzlies

8:00: Knicks (Knox, Randle) @ Bucks (Bledsoe)

10:30 (NBATV): Mavericks @ Warriors (Cauley-Stein)

10:30: Cavaliers (Knight) @ Clippers (Patterson)