Gilgeous-Alexander drove toward the lane and beat McDaniels on the play, when the Timberwolves star shoved the star guard and sent him to the ground in a heap. Players from both sides jawed at one another as the tension ramped up, and when the dust settled, McDaniels received a Flagrant 1 — not that he minded.

Gilgeous-Alexander was announced as the NBA's MVP on Wednesday night, with the star Thunder guard having averaged over 32 points per game this season.

While anyone associated with Jokic this year would likely believe that he is the MVP, that apparently isn't the case. Mike Malone, the Nuggets former head coach, whom the team fired in April, gave a surprising Shai Gilgeous-Alexander take that may have been an indirect shot at Jokic.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker shut down his cousin, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, in a play-in victory in 2023 that sent the Thunder home and clinched the Timberwolves’ second consecutive playoff berth.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reacts to facing his cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the Western Conference Finals.

The Oklahoma City Thunder rolled into the Western Conference finals after beating the Nuggets 125-93 in Game 7 on Sunday.