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The Oklahoma City Thunder are clinging to a half-game lead at the top of the Western Conference, but they will be without their best player for Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Per Jared Greenberg of TNT Sports, Thunder star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will sit out with a quad injury.
Oklahoma City (52-22) is one of three Western Conference teams to have already clinched a playoff spot along with the Denver Nuggets (52-23) and Minnesota Timberwolves (51-23). The Thunder will be playing in the postseason for the first time since 2020, and Gilgeous-Alexander is a major reason for that.
The 25-year-old has firmly established his position in the MVP race, ranking third in the league with 30.3 points per game and leading the league with 2.1 steals per game. He’s also averaging a career-high 6.3 assists along with 5.5 rebounds, and he’s shooting a career-best 53.9 percent from the field. In addition to his stellar production, he’s managed to stay healthy, as Tuesday’s game will be just the fourth time he sits out this year.
While the absence of Gilgeous-Alexander is not something the Thunder look forward to, they still have arguably the league’s most impressive group of young talent on their roster. Oklahoma City will rely on Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Josh Giddey and Luguentz Dort while the two-time All-Star is sidelined.
Despite their youth, the Thunder have a strong chance at making a deep playoff run, but they will need Gilgeous-Alexander to be at full strength. The team will likely be cautious with his recovery, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he gets a few more days off as the regular season winds down.
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