Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder faced a tough challenge Wednesday night as they took on the defending champion Boston Celtics without first-time All-Star Jalen Williams. The versatile guard-forward did not travel with the team to Boston and may miss the entirety of their three-game road trip this week.

“SGA” delivered an MVP-level performance, pouring in a game-high 34 points to lead the Thunder to a hard-fought 118-112 victory, securing a postseason berth.

He carried a heavy scoring load early on. He dropped 11 points in the first quarter, helping OKC hold a 33-30 lead after 12 minutes, even as the Celtics caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down nine 3s.

The Thunder’s bench played a key role in keeping them in the game during a back-and-forth second quarter, with Boston maintaining its hot shooting.

“SGA” capped off the first half with five points during a closing 7-3 run, including a buzzer-beater that marked his 10,000th career point, to send OKC into halftime with a 63-60 advantage.

In the second half, “SGA” made crucial plays to stop every Celtics surge. Over the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter, he scored or assisted on 13 of the Thunder’s last 17 points to seal the win.

Below are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s full stats.

Mark Daigneault sees shades of Steph Curry in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The OKC Thunder and Golden State Warriors have been part of several memorable battles this season. During All-Star Weekend in February, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault was asked about the face-of-the-NBA debate and took a moment to praise Warriors superstar Steph Curry — not just for his on-court dominance, but for his leadership and character.

“As his star has gotten brighter, it’s almost like he’s become a better ambassador, better member of the community, better face of the franchise, better teammate, higher character. That’s the sense I get from a distance, just observing him,” Daigneault said (per OKC Thunder Wire).

He then drew a comparison to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, crediting his maturity and steady rise in the league.

“I think we have a guy like that. He’s been very impressive because he’s had a fast and almost linear ascent in the NBA and has done it in stride and with great humility,” Daigneault said.

“Behind closed doors and inside our environment, he’s almost more impressive when you get him around him like that. It’s not an endorsement of anything like that. I just have unbelievable confidence in Shai and what he’s capable of.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Steph Curry were the top two guards in this year’s All-Star voting. Both are on track for All-NBA selections, with “SGA” emerging as a frontrunner for MVP.