The OKC Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers squared off in a primetime showdown of the number one seeds Wednesday night to decide, at least in the meantime, who is the true top dog in the NBA.
Though it was undoubtedly a high-effort, back-and-forth affair that saw a whopping 30 lead changes throughout, after 48 minutes of action it was the hometown Cavs who reigned supreme, as they downed Oklahoma City by a final score of 129-122 and, in turn, snapped their league-leading win streak at 15.
While certainly an upsetting way to see their victory bubble burst, perspective, and avoidance of overreactions are key in times like these.
Despite the loss, the Thunder are still the top defense (103.4) and overall net-rated (11.6) team in the entire association, and hold a sizable six-game lead over the second-seeded Houston Rockets in the Western Conference standings.
On top of all this, during his post-game media availability Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stressed that, even with Wednesday's outcome, he believes the club still managed to get "better" and that, ultimately, Oklahoma City is still the place he wants to be long-term.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 'can't see a world where' he's not with Thunder
"I love Oklahoma City. I can’t see a world where I’m not in OKC. Market, no market. I don’t care. I love where I am," Gilgeous-Alexander said.
The superstar would continue on to stress how the environment he's in is more important than salary figures, as he stated that "money doesn't matter to a certain extent" so long "as I enjoy what I'm doing at a very high level, love the people that I'm around doing it."
For a small-market club like the OKC Thunder, one that generally doesn't generate a ton of interest from available studs across the league, this is a great thing to hear from their franchise player, especially considering they've already witnessed a former cornerstone in Kevin Durant jump ship for greener pastures in the past.
Oklahoma City is a team set up for dynasty status with its young, promising roster, star-caliber players, and history-breaking successes.
When compared to other situations across the league, there's an argument to be made that the one Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finds himself in with the Thunder is rivaled by no one.
Add on the fact that money isn't likely to be an issue with the two-time All-Star, as he's currently on course to earn anywhere between $293.4 million this summer and $379.9 million if he were to hold out on inking a new deal until next offseason, and it's easy to see why the 26-year-old is so vocal about his desire to remain with the organization for the long-haul.
After such a disappointing conclusion to their contest against the Cavaliers, this is exactly what Thunder fans love to hear!