While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder remain only six victories away from a second consecutive championship, one San Antonio fan arrived at Game 4 with a much different award in mind for the Thunder star.
During the matchup at the Frost Bank Center, a courtside spectator was captured in various photos and videos holding a miniature, Oscar-style trophy inscribed with the words “Best Flopper.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, who has frequently faced scrutiny regarding his tendency to go to the floor during shot attempts, even landed directly in front of the fan during the first quarter, per The Athletic.
This stunt follows a pattern of gamesmanship from the San Antonio crowd; Gilgeous-Alexander was also met with “flopper” chants throughout Game 3 of the Western Conference finals.
Addressing the crowd’s reaction, Gilgeous-Alexander remained unfazed in a post-game interview with ESPN. “It does nothing,” he stated. “It doesn’t fuel me, and it doesn’t discourage me. It’s just part of the game. I’ve dealt with this for a long time, so I don’t really hear it.”
Gilgeous-Alexander has been a dominant force this postseason, leading all players with a 28.1 points-per-game average. This follows a stellar regular season where he averaged 31.3 points per game, earned his fourth straight All-Star selection, and secured his second consecutive MVP award on May 17.
His leadership helped secure the Western Conference’s top seed heading into the playoffs, but the Thunder’s quest for a repeat title faces new challenges as the series shifts to Oklahoma City for Game 5.
Driven by Victor Wembanyama’s 33-point performance, the Spurs secured a dominant 103-82 victory on Sunday to even the series at two games apiece. Gilgeous-Alexander finished the contest with 19 points, shooting 6-of-15 from the field while maintaining a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.
“They just punched us in the face early,” Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters following the loss. “That’s two games in a row where they have come out as the aggressors. We were able to course-correct last game, but we just didn’t do that on Sunday.”