The Oklahoma City Thunder took down the New York Knicks 103-100 on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Reigning NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points and went 7-of-7 from the charity stripe for the Thunder.
After the game, Knicks head coach Mike Brown spoke to the media and mentioned how Gilgeous-Alexander is “great at convincing referees” that “he’s getting hit.”
Mike Brown:
“SGA, he’s a tough cover. He does a great job of convincing the referees probably better than anybody in the league that he’s getting hit” 😳 pic.twitter.com/8UFgDsxIQx
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) March 5, 2026
“SGA, he’s a tough cover,” Brown said. “He does a great job of convincing the referees, probably better than anybody in the league, that he’s getting hit.”
NBA fans and the media alike have had plenty of “free-throw merchant” talk when it comes to Gilgeous-Alexander over the last year, and ESPN’s Doris Burke made waves with comments over the weekend (after making free-throw merchant comments about SGA last season).
After Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was called for an offensive foul, and the call stood after review, Burke said how Gilgeous-Alexander gets away with the same plays.
“I’m gonna be honest with you, and Oklahoma City fans are going to start hating on me,” Burke said during the Timberwolves’ game against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. “How many times does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander get away with that exact kind of (play)?
So, the commentary on Gilgeous-Alexander’s play style and antics continues in the NBA world, with head coaches even offering thoughts. But as long as SGA can get away with it and keep putting together MVP-worthy production for the defending champions, he’s going to, even if it leads to a lot of people rolling their eyes.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.