The Indiana Pacers faced off against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday afternoon, suffering a 132-111 defeat behind yet another stellar performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. After the game, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton shared his thoughts on the NBA MVP race and made it clear who he believes deserves the award.
Following the loss, Haliburton didn’t hesitate to throw his support behind Gilgeous-Alexander, stating that the Thunder star should win MVP, “no question.” And not Nikola Jokic who also had an unreal season.
“I grew up in an era where the best player on the best team wins MVP every time. I think our era is kind of getting away from that a little bit, which is fine because I think Jokic and those guys are warranted when they win,” Haliburton said, per Joel Lorenzo of The Oklahoman on X, formerly Twitter. “But I think if you take away them having the best record, he would still be the MVP. And then you throw on the fact that they have the best record—it kind of makes it an easy decision.”
Haliburton added, “I don’t have a vote, but if you took a player poll, I’m sure he would win.” With the dominant home victory over Indiana, Oklahoma City secured its 62nd win of the season, further solidifying its place atop the Western Conference.
A historic season for Shai
Gilgeous-Alexander’s season has been nothing short of legendary, arguably the best individual campaign in Thunder franchise history. And that’s saying something for an organization that has seen superstars like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.
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Averaging over 30 points per game for the third straight season, Gilgeous-Alexander has seamlessly incorporated new additions like Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein while keeping the Thunder on a historic pace. With a remarkable 62-12 record, Oklahoma City is not only defying expectations but also rewriting NBA franchise history.