Tuesday’s slate of games saw the Cleveland Cavaliers continue its franchise-best start with a 119-113 victory over the Chicago. It also featured the Oklahoma City Thunder outlasting the Los Angeles Clippers, 134-128, in a Wild, Wild West-type of the fourth quarter where both teams just kept making big shot after big shot.
That game, incidentally, also saw Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander set a personal milestone, although it might have been overshadowed somewhat by more injury news around the league.
SGA Sets Personal High
Gilgeous-Alexander is widely considered among the Association’s elite guards, and he proved it yet again on Tuesday, dropping a game-high 45 points on top of 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks.
SGA’s 45 points, according to the Thunder PR, is a personal high for the young guard, who was serenaded by the Thunder crowd with “MVP!” chants throughout the fourth quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander’s stat line also makes him the first to record such numbers, also according to the Thunder PR.
Last year’s MVP candidate is having another spectacular year, averaging 26.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks a game.
More Injury News
Injuries are continuing to pile up around the Association, with OKC among the most affected. Already without backup big Isaiah Hartenstein and forward Jaylin Williams, the Thunder will also miss starting center Chet Holmgren, who left the team’s 127-116 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Monday after a hard fall.
That hard fall, according to the Thunder, resulted in Holmgren suffering a right iliac wing fracture, which will require surgery and sideline the big man for 8–10 weeks. Holmgren, who is averaging 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks this season, is no stranger to major injuries, having missed what would’ve been his entire rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury.
Elsewhere, the Sacramento Kings will be without sixth man Malik Monk, who will be sidelined for four to six weeks due to a moderate right ankle sprain. The sweet-shooting guard sustained the injury on Monday in the Kings’ win against the Phoenix Suns.
Monk is norming 12.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists for the Kings, who are also managing De’Aaron Fox’s injured left pinky.
Yet another team hit by the injury bug is the Milwaukee Bucks, who will miss the services of starting point guard Damian Lillard for at least one game (against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday).
The 34-year-old All-Star was sidelined after he was placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol on Tuesday. The Bucks are already without guards Khris Middleton, Gary Trent Jr., and Andre Jackson Jr.
