Shai on the family showdown with Alexander-Walker: “He’s really good”
Despite the loss, the Hawks found encouraging signs in Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s leadership. And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s support tells the story of growth that was expected – not accidental
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is in the middle of one of the most convincing stretches of his NBA season, and for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, there’s nothing surprising about it. The two cousins faced each other on the floor at the Paycom Center in a game that said far more than the final 140-129 score in favor of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Despite the defeat, Alexander-Walker was the face of the night for Atlanta, leading a Hawks team without Trae Young and Jalen Johnson back to within four points in the fourth quarter after falling behind by as many as 15. The comeback was fueled by his offensive talent and his willingness to take responsibility when it mattered most.
The box score for Shai’s cousin speaks for itself: 30 points, six made three-pointers, five assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Alexander-Walker finished 11-of-24 from the field and 6-of-14 from beyond the arc, emerging as Atlanta’s primary offensive option.
Shai dominates, but Alexander-Walker…
After the game, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had meaningful words for his cousin, emphasizing that this kind of breakout was only a matter of time:
He’s a really good player. He showed flashes of it last year in Minnesota, especially with that big game in the Conference Finals. I knew he was capable of getting to this level. Now he has the opportunity to show his talent, and he’s taking advantage of it.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
A statement that reinforces the idea that Alexander-Walker isn’t a sudden surprise, but a player who simply needed the right context to emerge with consistency.
Beyond the result, Atlanta also showed encouraging signs in its previous narrow loss to the Knicks. Alexander-Walker explained how a team-wide conversation helped shift the group’s mindset and approach:
We all sat down together and told each other we had to do more. You can feel it on the court: even when they were scoring and we weren’t, we managed to stop the bleeding. We fought, we played through mistakes, because that’s what the game requires.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
A key takeaway is the Hawks’ ability to stay engaged during negative stretches – something that had often been missing during their recent losing streak.
Ups and downs, we stayed in it, and we even took the lead twice. It’s tough, but the mindset is the right one.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
The situation remains difficult: seven straight losses take their toll, and the next opportunity to change course will come against Minnesota. Still, if Nickeil Alexander-Walker continues to perform at this level, Atlanta may have found more than just a scorer – a true reference point, especially when things start to go wrong.