Though their seven-game triumph over the Denver Nuggets in round two may have been a long-awaited accomplishment for the OKC Thunder as a whole, for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, it was a testimony to his worthiness of taking home the 2025 MVP award over fellow contender Nikola Jokic.
While Joker may have come away with the more fleshed out stat-line, averaging 28.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.7 steals on 47.9 percent shooting from the floor, it was SGA who had the last laugh on this specific showdown, as he spearheaded the charge to Oklahoma City's 4-3 series win and, in turn, their first conference finals berth since 2016.
Following Sunday's finale, Jokic was asked by reporters to share his feelings on Gilgeous-Alexander and his season as a whole.
Despite clearly being depleted following elimination, the superstar couldn't help but speak glowingly about the Thunder cornerstone, describing him as "a special player."
Nikola Jokic praises Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after Thunder down Denver
"His shot selection, his capability of making his own shots, separation, playing his rhythm, defensively he's always taking the balls [and] always blocking shots... He's a special player," Jokic said.
Despite putting up a few underwhelming performances (at least, as far as his standards are concerned) during the second-round bout, Gilgeous-Alexander still wound up proving why he's one of the true elite two-way players the NBA currently has to offer.
Logging 37.6 minutes per night, the point guard wrapped up the series with stellar averages of 29.7 points, 6.6 assists, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor. On top of this, he wrapped up with a series-best + 9.9 plus-minus rating and a fourth-best net rating of 14.0, both further showing his specific impact on the Thunder's winning ways.
As Jokic noted during his presser, this semifinal matchup was far from the first time he and the Nuggets have seen the Thunder guard work his magic against them in 2024-25, as the two clubs squared off four times in the regular season alone.
In said matchups, Gilgeous-Alexander dazzled with his on-court talents and stat-sheet stuffing abilities, finishing out the series with 30.3 points, 6.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 2.3 blocks on 49.4 percent shooting from the field.
Just as it was during the regular season (wrapped with a tie at 2-2), this past playoff bout was tightly contested from start to finish, with only one instance of consecutive wins being recorded.
In the end, however, the Thunder wound up holding off the battle-tested Nuggets and are now gearing up for a showdown with the patiently waiting Timberwolves.
And while accomplishing such a feat was a result of a full-out team effort, it's widely understood that, without the "special" play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, none of the successes Oklahoma City has achieved throughout the year would have been possible.