The Oklahoma City Thunder are, without a doubt, the hottest team in the league right now. While a lot of that comes down to the immense talent they possess, it would mean little if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. did not share such great chemistry amongst them. That was yet again on display following OKC’s gritty 104-97 win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, and well, later on, off the court as well.

While Gilgeous-Alexander was brilliant during the game, finishing the game with 27 points, the real moment came when he was being interviewed by the Inside the NBA crew. The conversation, which was mostly around SGA and the Thunder’s performance, quickly shifted to Jalen Williams’ courtside outfit, who was seen wearing a designer poncho.

“This is a non-basketball question, because you are considered the most fashion-forward player in the NBA. And J Dub. We had an argument here, what he had on, what I call the poncho… Charles called a blanket. Is that fashion forward, and could you describe what that was?” Smith asked SGA, to which the reigning MVP gave a blunt and savage reply.

“Yeah, my wife has one of those at home. I think they’re called a snuggie. That’s what we call it,” he said. “You put ’em on and watch a movie that night, in the snuggie.”

The 27-year-old had everyone in stitches with his hilarious reply. And to be fair, it did look like a snuggie, and with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being one of the most well-dressed hoopers at the moment, he wasn’t gonna let that slide, especially with the player being J-Dub.

When Smith said, “No, I thought you were gonna defend your guy,” Shai didn’t budge and said, “No, no, no, no. I’m a realist. I keep it real.”

This exchange highlighted the easygoing and friendly culture brewing in Oklahoma City, despite having one of the youngest rosters. This connection amongst teammates has played a big role in the team’s success this season, as they became the first squad to reach the 50-win mark.

So, while SGA and the rest of the team might act silly off the court, they are more than mature on the court. This was on display inside the Chase Center as the Thunder took care of business against an injury-riddled Warriors team last night on the road.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Thunder deny Warriors’ late push

Initially, it seemed like an easy win for the Oklahoma City Thunder as they led the Warriors by as many as 13 points heading into halftime. Things, however, completely turned around during the second half. Steve Kerr’s men refused to go away as they fought their way back into the game, even tying scores at 77 late in the third quarter. It was then that the defending champions decided to respond.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. then made a few quick buckets to snatch back the lead, but the game stayed tight down the stretch. With the Thunder holding just a slim 99-97 advantage, the reigning MVP delivered the game’s defining moment. SGA buried a dagger of a three-pointer while being contested by Golden State’s Draymond Green with just 42 seconds left on the clock.

That bucket increased Thunder’s margin to five as they then held on till the final whistle. And, as expected, head coach Mark Daigneault was immensely impressed by his star point guard.

“Shai’s a great closer,” he said. “They were throwing bodies at him all night, especially early. But he got his cracks, got fouled, and when he got that look late, he knocked it down. He has great confidence in those situations.”

Indeed, the Warriors were trying to close down SGA, and did somewhat succeed in doing so as they limited him to just 6-of-15 from the field.

Despite that, his unbelievable accuracy from the free-throw line and that final shot were more than enough for him to carry his team over the line. Now, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder will shift their focus toward their close clash with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, which is set to take place on Monday night inside the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.