It was a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander moment; it was his time to shine brightly as he officially became the NBA’s newest MVP. But before the MVP chants from fans could even reach the loudest decibel, the night slipped into the hands of Victor Wembanyama. He made what seemed to be a coronation night more of a nightmare.

Right from the opening minutes, nothing came easy for the Oklahoma star. Open layups rolled off the rim, careless turnovers piled up, and the Thunder star never looked comfortable attacking the paint. Then came the moment that perfectly summed up the night. 

With under nine minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Spurs holding a seven-point lead, SGA missed a clean baseline jumper. Victor Wembanyama snatched the rebound, clutched the ball tightly, and burst into laughter right in front of the reigning MVP. It made the broadcaster go, “he is laughing at him.” At that point, SGA recorded just 3-13 FG. Frustrated, Shai even attempted to steal the ball back, but Victor Wembanyama kept smiling at him, adding insult to injury. 

Later, though, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, talking about that moment, made it out to be not such a big deal, nothing personal. “He’s competitive. If you’re a competitor and you see another competitor get rewarded with what you want… if that’s motivation, we all get motivated by different things. As a competitive person, that would be my approach and perspective,” he said.

Nevertheless, the OKC superstar at that time had no choice but to walk away helplessly as the ref blew the whistle on him. In his first 8 games this postseason, despite a tough Lakers’ defense in semifinals Game 1, SGA had a cakewalk, averaging 29.1 ppg with a high score of 42 points. Tonight, he faced an elite defense that restricted him from his usual exploits.

Still, SGA had a chance to redeem himself in the closing minute when the team needed him the most. He dropped 4 crucial points, which included two free throws and a layup to tie the game—a chance to have the last laugh.

However, that wasn’t the case either. Although the Thunder forced a second overtime, the Spurs held their nerve and took Game 1, 122-115. SGA had a forgettable game, scoring 24 points with 7-23 FG. On the bright side, Alex Caruso stepped off the bench, dropping 31 points with 8 three-pointers.

But it was Victor Wembanyama who overshadowed SGA’s MVP night, recording a monstrous 41 points with 24 rebounds and 3 blocks. And one thing is for sure: this was a confidence booster for him. 

“I’ve still got a lot to learn,” Wembanyama said as he saw SGA win the MVP. “And I want to get that trophy many times in my career.” And then he was asked if he was the best player in the world, and let’s just say he didn’t bite.

“The world is 8 billion people,” he said. “That’s 8 billion opinions.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reflects on the tough Game 1 loss

Ever since SGA’s offense took over the league, the OKC has been on a dominant run. In the last three postseasons, the team has swept 4 series, 2 of them this season alone. But the team looked off-color, struggling to bring their magic. Especially, Shai had a poor shooting night.

Speaking about the loss, SGA respected his opponents and reflected on it and the challenge ahead in the upcoming games.

“Quality opponent, we knew it was gonna be a dog fight. We just gotta be better, me in particular. I have to play better, especially against a team of this caliber.”

Wemby’s dominating performance set the tone for the series, shattering ‌OKC’s unbeaten run. Speaking at the post-game interview, the big man didn’t disregard the reigning champions as he seemed prepared for a long series. 

“It might be a long series. Winning one game means something, but it doesn’t mean everything,” Wemby said. “So, we gotta stay down to earth. If it’s a long series, we gonna need this win.”

Adding to the stakes of tonight’s matchup, Nick Wright tweeted:

“On May 24, 1995, Hakeem watched David Robinson win the MVP that he thought he deserved, and responded with a 41-16-4-3-2 in a win. Nearly 31 years later to the day, Wemby watched SGA win the MVP that he campaigned for, and responded with a 41-24-3-1-3. Total brilliance.”

Given the OKC’s young roster and championship experience, the team might bounce back in the very next game. Most importantly, SGA, who had a troubled shooting night, might look to redeem himself offensively, especially after Wembanyama’s laugh.

The Frenchman’s reaction didn’t just pop out of nowhere, either. In the regular season, Wemby publicly vouched for himself in the MVP race, a rare occurrence. He listed three reasons why he should be topping the ladder. One of them was defeating Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his men in the regular season series with a 4-1 record.

It did work in his favor, as he went on to lead the ladder for the following weeks, before the league crowned SGA with the honors. Nevertheless, the battle isn’t over until it’s over. With De’Aaron Fox recovering from an ankle strain, the Spurs might have an added advantage in Game 2.