The Oklahoma City Thunder will take on the surging Houston Rockets tonight at Paycom Center. While the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-led Thunder have undergone a remarkable transformation this season, climbing to the second seed (50-21) after last season’s play-in exit, the 11-seeded Rockets (36-35) are expected to give them a run for their money. Despite losing Alperen Sengun and Cam Whitmore, the Rockets have turned up the heat on both ends of the floor, currently riding a nine-game winning streak. And the recent OKC Thunder injury update might have sweetened Houston’s chances of securing a win tonight.

Following OKC’s 50th win of the season against the New Orleans Pelicans, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander admitted that he’s been dealing with a quadricep injury since the Thunder’s 119-107 win over Utah on March 20. While he has since suited up for all three games that followed, according to OKC Thunder beat writer Rylan Stiles, Gilgeous-Alexander is sidelined due to the same quad injury for the second leg of a back-to-back set on Wednesday versus Houston.

The injury explains why the drive-heavy guard has been settling for contested mid-range jumpers recently. In the last three contests, SGA averaged just 19.7 points on 44% shooting, six assists, and five rebounds. This is a stark departure from his 30.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6.3 assists on 54% shooting from the field per game this season. However, some rest would do him good, since he has suited up for 70 of OKC’s 71 games this season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP campaign

Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander turned several heads, averaging over 30 points per game. This performance earned him his first All-Star selection and a spot on the All-NBA First Team. Cut to this season, he proved that it was no fluke, becoming an All-Star starter and is now vying for the Most Valuable Player Award. SGA leads the NBA in drive points per game at 16.9 and in total unassisted points. Additionally, he is fifth in pull-up points with 10.6 per contest.

Shai has been equally impressive on the other side of the court. The 25-year-old leads the NBA with 2.1 steals per game and has the most total deflections in the league, currently at 247 for the season. Furthermore, he ranks third in total contested three-pointers made with 227 and is also among the top 10 in loose balls recovered.

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But what separates him from all the other candidates is that not only is he lighting up scoreboards with his MVP-caliber numbers, but he is also responsible for the Thunder’s incredible jump from last season. Despite his stellar impact on both ends of the floor, he still trails Nikola Jokić in the NBA’s latest edition of the KIA MVP Ladder. Hopefully, his current injury is a minor one and won’t affect his candidature much.

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