Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s star power is undeniable, but what about his buzzer-beater percentage?
A reminder about the Horry Scale: It breaks down the game-winning buzzer-beater (GWBB) ten by difficulty, game situation (was the team tied or trailing at the time?), importance (playoffs or regular game night) January? ) and celebrations. We then gave it an overall rating of 1-5 Robert Horrys, named after the patron saint who answered prayers at the last second.
* * *
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s All-Star rush has grown all season. His best moments are starting to match his already astronomical numbers.
The Thunder’s star guard made his latest argument for national recognition on Monday when he hit the game-winning baseline jumper in Oklahoma City’s 123-121 victory over Portland.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points on the night, third in the league in scoring, fourth in free throw attempts and fifth in restricted area points.
SGA All-Star eligibility can wait another day. Now, let’s look at the only bucket that matters in Horry Scale.
Game situation: A draw leaves little risk and all rewards on the table for the team with the ball. The remaining 3.2 seconds also seemed like an eternity, especially on short passes from the touchline. Race winners at the buzzer are never inherently easy, but this particular build barely falls in the desperation department, and yes, that counts here.
difficulty: Filming wasn’t the hardest part. Here’s the move before, a dirty spin that puts Gilgeous-Alexander’s defender a full step behind. But to do it, pull up, square your shoulders and shoot, isn’t easy, even for most of the 350 best players in the world who make up the NBA.
Gunshots are heard all over the world 🪣 pic.twitter.com/GGRv5IvTZj
— Thunder Thunder (@okcthunder) December 20, 2022
celebration: Teammate mobs come, as they usually do for game-winning heroes, but this time with a different edge. Gilgeous-Alexander’s other Thunder players didn’t rush at him immediately, but bent over his face, reinforcing the already obvious fact that, yes, Gilgeous-Alexander was the guy. The game knows the game, and the Thunder know they have a real game at the SGA.
grade: Gilgeous-Alexander’s heroics are the latest examples of his tenure. Rival teams fear him, create game plans for him and do everything in their power to stop him. He just won’t. 2 Hollis.