Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was not interested in big-picture milestones after the Oklahoma City Thunder suffered just their second loss of the season. Following Oklahoma City’s defeat to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup semifinals, the reigning MVP made it clear that chasing history is far from his mindset.
With the Thunder sitting at 24 and 2 entering the game, questions quickly turned toward Oklahoma City’s pace and whether an all-time wins record could be in play. Gilgeous-Alexander shut that down immediately, emphasizing growth over numbers.
“73 and 9? I mean, the position we’re in right now, what are we, 24-2? My goal is to get better,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the loss. “So if we get better than what we are now, that should take care of itself. That’s kind of how I see it. Goals to me are pointless trying to reach at when they are so far away. You have to take care of everything step-by-step, and tonight we didn’t. If we stack nights like we did tonight, we won’t even come close to it.”
Rather than dwelling on the standings, Gilgeous-Alexander framed the loss as a reminder of how thin the margin for error is in the NBA. Despite Oklahoma City’s dominant start, the Thunder star stressed that reputation alone does not win games.
“We can’t be spoiled,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We can’t think we’re above anything. Us, along with every team in the league, if you show up on a night and don’t do the necessary thing to win, you probably won’t win, no matter how talented or no matter what your record looks like. That was the case for us tonight.”
The message aligns with the Thunder’s broader approach this season. Oklahoma City has built its success on consistency, defensive pressure and steady improvement, rather than chasing nightly statements. Gilgeous-Alexander’s comments reinforced that internal standard, even after a rare stumble.
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