You don't have to scroll very far down your X timeline as an NBA generalist or OKC Thunder fanatic before you encounter a post complaining of the officiating in favor of Oklahoma City.
This kind of discourse has actually even made its way onto the court, where Suns star Devin Booker went as far as to seemingly mouth that their game was "rigged" in favor of the defending champs back in round one.
The Thunder have become the poster child that rival fans point to when complaining about what's wrong with the league today. Foul baiting and flopping specifically draw their ire, and two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous Alexander is the one most of the criticism is directed at.
Throughout this playoff run, SGA has played below his regular-season standard, but that has more to do with the aggressive defenses he's faced. Even so, he is still averaging 28.0 points per contest and has gone for over 30 on six separate occasions.
During his 32-point, nine-assist night in OKC's Game 5 win, Gilgeous-Alexander's shot was off, but he was able to make his way to the free-throw line 17 times.
That's not a good case to beat the allegations of being a flopper or buying out the referees, but SGA, like all the great scorers, knows how to get points on the board. And because of this controversial skill, he has moved farther up in the all-time Thunder rankings.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ties Russel Westbrook in Thunder lore
Tuesday night was Gilgeous-Alexander's 24th playoff game with at least 30 points and five assists, tying Russell Westbrook for the most all-time in Thunder history.
While different defensive coverages have thrown SGA off rhythm the last two rounds, his ability and willingness to set up his teammates have been key to Oklahoma City's success.Â
He is averaging a career-high 8.1 assists throughout this postseason run, and while turnovers have been an issue, his 2.59 assist-to-turnover ratio suggests he's doing more good than harm to his team's on-court attack.
And because he can sense when players such as Stephon Castle are being over-aggressive, he can "sell" a call to eventually make his way to the free-throw line for free points.
That's what he did Tuesday night, as he had 10 free throws in the first half and seven in the second.
NBA fans can complain all they want, but until the league decides to change how it officiates the association's top offensive stars, players like Gilgeous-Alexander will continue to take advantage of these whistles.Â
And he should, because he'll continue to climb the franchise rankings and potentially lead this Thunder team to dynastic heights in the process.
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