Daigneault on Shai: “Some nights, you have to let him go”

When you have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, some nights you can afford to put the game entirely in his hands. That’s what the Oklahoma City Thunder did against the Cleveland Cavaliers, getting back in the win column behind their leader’s season-high 43 points and, most importantly, his go-ahead three with 32.6 seconds remaining.

The win comes at the right time for OKC, following two consecutive road losses by more than 20 points while still navigating an injury crisis that has sidelined three starters.

This time, though, Shai took virtually the entire offense onto his shoulders. His 35 shot attempts tell the story – the most by an NBA player through the season’s first two weeks.

Mark Daigneault explained the approach directly after the game.

He was putting enormous pressure on their defense, and he had that look in his eyes. We leaned on him offensively. That won’t be our identity for 82 games, but some nights you have to give a player like that freedom. He delivered in a big way

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Cleveland certainly did everything it could to make life difficult for the Thunder. Trailing by 11 at halftime, the Cavaliers fought their way back, setting up a fourth quarter featuring eight ties and eight lead changes.

In that back-and-forth battle, the Cavs got answers from Donovan Mitchell and rookie Meleek Thomas, who scored 17 points in his first NBA start. But when it mattered most, Gilgeous-Alexander once again made the difference.

Cleveland suffers its first home loss after three wins, with a chance to respond Wednesday when the teams meet again in Oklahoma City.

For the Thunder, it’s a significant win, especially given the absences. Daigneault knows he can’t ask Shai to take 35 shots every night, but when his MVP has it going like that, perhaps the best approach is simply to give him the ball and see what happens.