OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sent a reminder that there was only one MVP on the floor.
And it wasn’t Jalen Brunson.
The Thunder superstar took over down the stretch of Sunday’s 111-100 victory over the Knicks, outplaying Brunson as OKC bulldozed through the final six minutes.
The Knicks, losers of six straight to the Thunder, did what inferior teams tend to do. They hung around with the defending champs until crunch time, when OKC flexed its pedigree and closed on a 19-9 run.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 10 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, living at the foul line with 16 free-throw attempts — hitting 13 of them. Brunson also had 30 points, but the Knicks were outscored by 10 points in the final six minutes.
The Knicks (48-27), losers of two straight, fell three games behind the Celtics for No. 2 in the East and just one game in the loss column ahead of the No. 4 Cavaliers. They haven’t won in OKC since 2017.
Sunday’s game was a potential Finals preview, but as Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein said before tipoff, it’s premature to look that far ahead.
After all, the Knicks still have to advance to their first Finals since 1999, and the Thunder have to navigate a dangerous and top-heavy Western Conference, most notably the San Antonio Spurs.
Still, Sunday was a good barometer for both teams. They were essentially 100 percent healthy and available, with Miles McBride returning from a 28-game absence and the Thunder boasting a clean injury report. Only Landry Shamet, who missed his fourth straight game with a knee bruise, wasn’t there for the Knicks.
But New York’s good health didn’t last long. Midway through the third quarter, McBride dove for a loose ball and appeared to injure his groin. He limped into the locker room and never returned. It was a heartbreaking development for a player who worked for two months to return as quickly as possible. He probably should’ve waited.
Before that injury, Mike Brown understood the opportunity for his team.
“All the games down the stretch are big games,” the Knicks coach said. “But when you’re playing against playoff teams or a really good team that has the ability to make it hard for you in a lot of areas, you use it as a tool and look at how we can be better and better there.
“They’re the No. 1 defense in the league, so they’re doing something right on that end of the floor. You see how they guard you and how you get better in different areas. And then Shai’s a handful and they have shooters around him, so trying to figure out how you can slow him down while not letting anybody get loose is big as well.”
The Knicks hung tight in the first half largely because of Brunson, who had 16 points, five rebounds and four assists through two quarters. Karl-Anthony Towns disappeared until early in the fourth quarter and finished with 15 points and 18 rebounds.
The center, who logged just 22 minutes in the previous game (a loss to the Hornets), took just one field goal attempt before the break.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
