NBA

Not only is he out Tuesday with an ankle/abdomen injury, but OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has now entered health and safety protocols

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pic

The 2022-23 season for the Oklahoma City Thunder has been inconsistent as they team has a 28-32 record. That put’s them at 13th in the West, but the race for a playoff spot is so narrow that they are still in decent shape. Only two games separate the eighth and thirteenth seeds. OKC needs to find a way to pile up wins in their final 22 games of the regular season. It doesn’t help that their best player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is out with an ankle/abdomen injury. Today, it was also announced that he’s entered health and safety protocols. 

SGA has missed the last two games in a row with an ankle/abdomen injury. It was announced today that he’s entered health and safety protocols; leaving him unavailable tonight vs the Kings. This will be the Thunder’s second game in a row playing the Sacramento. They lost 124-115 on Sunday.

If all goes right for the Thunder, they’ll make the playoffs through the play-in scenario as either the seventh or eighth seed. NBA betting sites have the Thunder at (+50000) to win the Finals this season.

SGA has entered health and safety protocols for the Thunder, he’s out tonight vs Sacramento

The one-time all-star is the first Thunder player this season to enter health and safety protocols. This is the point in the season where they need him the most and it’s not his choice whether he can play or nor. If this was just an abdomen/ankle injury, SGA could have at least tried to play in the game with a decreased role and minutes.

That’s not the case when it comes to health and safety protocols, however. In his fifth year with the team he earned his first all-star selection this season and is averaging (31.0) points per game as well; a new career-high. His (31.0) points per game are the fifth-most of any player this season.

Coming into the season, not many people would have said they Thunder would have a legit chance to make the playoffs. They have not made the playoffs since the 2019-20 season, buy they tend to change that this season. The parity in the league this season is the largest it’s ever been and that gives smaller market teams like the Thunder a chance.