"40 Free Throws ": NBA Fans Unfazed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 45 PPG Average to Start Season

Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is off to a scorching start to the 2025-26 NBA season, averaging 45.0 points through the OKC Thunder’s first two games, both of which ended in double-overtime wins.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points in the season opener against the Houston Rockets, then erupted for a career-high 55 points Thursday in a Finals rematch with the Indiana Pacers.

However, his scoring outburst has come with a notable number of free throws. He went 10-for-14 from the line against the Rockets and 23-for-26 against the Pacers, which drew plenty of fan reaction online.

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“40 free throws in 2 games just give him the MVP,” one said.

“40 free throw attempts???? This is the biggest free throw merchant of all time,” another said.

“Jokes aside getting fouled non stop in b2b 2OT games is probably exhausting,” another commented.

Here are other reactions to the Thunder star’s start to the season.

During his 2024-25 MVP campaign, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the league with 32.7 points per game on a league-high 21.8 field goal attempts and 8.8 free throw attempts per game, a mark second only to Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Thunder star also led the past two seasons in free throws made per game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander visibly exhausted as Thunder survive another 2OT game

The Thunder made history Thursday as the first team in NBA history to open a season with two double-overtime games. They won both, starting 2-0 for the league’s best record.

In the final minute of the second overtime against Indiana, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was fouled, took time to get up and appeared to mouth the words:

“I’m tired as f**k.”

The MVP logged 45 minutes Thursday, carrying the load with Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Nikola Topic, Isaiah Joe and Kenrich Williams all sidelined.

In the season opener, Gilgeous-Alexander played 47 minutes.

The Thunder have only one day off before continuing their road trip Saturday against Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks and Monday against Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks.

They return home Tuesday for a three-game stand beginning with the Sacramento Kings, who feature Thunder legend Russell Westbrook.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro