“Shut them up” – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes his feelings clear about embracing villain persona on the road against Wolves fans 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP this season, led the OKC Thunder to a grindout Game 4 win on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves, putting their series to 3-1.

“SGA” led OKC with 40 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists as he silenced the Minnesota crowd multiple times after chanting at him throughout the game.

After the win, Gilgeous-Alexander addressed the fan backlash he received from the Minnesota crowd, expressing his fondness for watching them go silent during the tightly contested game.

“It’s super fun. It’s pretty up there with being at home… It’s your job to go out there and play basketball and kinda shut them up,” he said via Thunder Wire's Clemente Almanza on X/Twitter.

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The Minnesota crowd booed Gilgeous-Alexander whenever he touched the ball in the game. He also received chants such as “free throw merchant” every time he stepped on the free throw line.

The same happened in Game 3 in Minnesota, in which the Timberwolves dominated the game to take their only win so far in the Western Conference Finals.

Some Timberwolves fans were also bickering at the referees whenever "SGA" got a foul call. He finished the game shooting 12-for-14 from the charity stripe.

The win put OKC within one win away from reaching the NBA Finals, the franchise’s first since 2012, back when the team was still led by Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Kevin Durant.

The series now shifts to OKC, where the Thunder have a chance to be the first team to punch their ticket to the Finals.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander does not care about being labeled a free-throw merchant

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has long been tagged as a free-throw merchant, as he often draws fouls whenever he drives to the paint. After Game 4, he finally addressed the label, saying that fans can do whatever they want against opposing teams to help their home team win.

“The way I see it is that fans can do whatever they can do to help their team win," he said. "That’s their job. That’s what creates homecourt advantage. That’s what creates a fan base. That’s what creates energy. So I expect nothing else.

“I don’t care. I never cared… I see it as a compliment," he added.

Gilgeous-Alexander was the league’s leading scorer during the regular season with 32.7 ppg, while shooting over eight free-throw attempts per game en route to becoming the MVP this season.

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About the author

Rob Andrew Lo

Rob Andrew Lo is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over three years of experience in the field. Rob studied journalism at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines and his love for sports made this an obvious career to pursue.

Rob's favorite team is the Oklahoma City Thunder. He grew up watching Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant and his admiration for them left not only a lasting impression but solidified his fandom.

When not working, Rob loves to play basketball. If he isn't watching or writing about basketball, he can probably be found watching pro wrestling.

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