Shai Gilgeous-Alexander presents such a mismatch
You can tell Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has ascended to superstar status by the fact a lot of Oklahoma City Thunder fans did not even realized, or get moved, by the fact the max contract point guard posted 33 points in this game.
That is old hat for the OKC Thunder guard. He makes it look easy night in and night out. It is not. However, this game was easier than others as Gilgeous-Alexander presented a matchup nightmare for the Lakers.
Darvin Ham started the night with Max Christie on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and let's just say he could not compete. The Michigan State product was not quick enough to stay with the shifty Gilgeous-Alexander, routinely bought on fakes, and got into foul trouble in this game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander used his length and strength to take advantage of Christie's 6'5 190-pound frame. The difficulty for the Lakers was the fact they had no one else who could even slow down Gilgeous-Alexander.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wrapped up the night with 33 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and a steal. Gilgeous-Alexander shot a jaw-dropping 61 percent from the floor on 18 shot attempts, while going 10-for-10 at the Free Throw line.
The one steal from Gilgeous-Alexander saw him legitimately rip the ball away from Max Christie and go coast-to-coast for the finish at the other end.
Oklahoma City got things going beyond just their superstar, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the catalyst in blowing out the Lakers and allowing each side to empty the benches at the end.