After a close first half in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder pulled away in the third and fourth quarters. Oklahoma City won 114-88, which does not shine light on how well Minnesota defended Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the first half.
The 2024-25 MVP winner had just 11 points on 2-of-13 shooting in the first half. He exploded for 20 points in the second half to finish with a game-high 31 points.
Game 2 is set for Thursday, May 22 at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Thunder are 7.5-point favorites at home and the total is set at 216.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Here are my favorite Gilgeous-Alexander prop bets for Game 2.
Best Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 31.5 points (-115)
Unfortunately there isn’t a free throws made or attempted prop bet, otherwise that would be popular for Gilgeous-Alexander. This year’s MVP winner is notorious for getting to the free-throw line, almost too much for NBA fans’ enjoyment.
I’m not here to argue the ethics of how he gets to the line, but it’s a fact that he gets there often. Gilgeous-Alexander took 14 free throws in Game 1, seven of which came in the first 4:30 of the first quarter.
He’s an active driver and will embellish contact when in the lane. Whether the officials blow the whistle or not is out of fans’ control. That being said, this has been the case all season. Gilgeous-Alexander is a tremendous free-throw shooter and can still be effective scoring even when his shots aren’t falling.
Just like in Game 1, he’ll be the primary source of offense. The ball will be in his hands often, which will give him more opportunities to score, whether that be via a field goal or free throw. The method doesn’t matter for bettors, so don’t get hung up on that.
As long as Gilgeous-Alexander is in the game, he’ll be shooting the ball. That’s all bettors need for this to prop to hit.