SALT LAKE CITY — It took until the second quarter, but Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finally stepped on the floor to make his All-Star debut.
After being voted in as a reserve, Gilgeous-Alexander enjoyed the fruits of his labor by participating in the All-Star festivities among the best players in the league.
“Super fun … ,” Gilgeous-Alexander said about his weekend. “(I) tried to soak it up as much as possible. Tried to spend as much time with my loved ones as possible.”
Gilgeous-Alexander’s team — Team Giannis Antetokounmpo — also came away with the win, 184-175, against Team LeBron James. Although by the start of the second half, neither team had their captain on the floor.
In the inaugural All-Star draft, Gilgeous-Alexander went fifth among the reserves and was Antetokounmpo’s third selection.
In 10 minutes, Gilgeous-Alexander finished with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting, seven assists and two rebounds. The 30-points-per-game scorer played the third-fewest amount of minutes on his team.
Gilgeous-Alexander only made appearances in the second and third quarter, with him making a side-step 3 and two shots in the paint, including a single dunk, being his only made field goals.
The lack of playing time sent Thunder fans into a frenzy during the game, with complaints over Gilgeous-Alexander’s playing time not being sufficient enough for the fifth-leading scorer in the league.
Despite the limited action, Gilgeous-Alexander had no complaints and was more dialed into enjoying the moment.
“It’s cool,” Gilgeous-Alexander said when asked about Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla’s minutes distribution. “I’m just honored to be here (and) play with the best players in the world and showcase my skills at this stage.”
As Gilgeous-Alexander enjoys the remaining three days of the All-Star break, the 24-year-old will shift his focus back to the last 25 games of the season as the 28-29 Thunder look to make a playoff push trailing the sixth-seeded Dallas Mavericks by 1.5 games.