Assuming Shai Gilgeous-Alexander noses out Nikola Jokic for this year’s NBA MVP award, SGA will become the Thunder’s third MVP winner in the last 12 years.

The physicality in these NBA Playoffs is palpable, and most teams are sensing the shift. Some, like the Oklahoma City Thunder, even seem satisfied by it.

Just like that, arguably the Oklahoma City Thunder's biggest threat in the West is gone. The early elimination will surely dominate the airwaves for the next couple of days. As th