Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had rare off-night against Grizzlies in Game 1. It didn't matter

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Splitting between Jaren Jackson Jr. and Marvin Bagley III, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sliced his way to the basket for the easy layup. He let out a sigh of relief. Like regular people who go to the park, the MVP candidate needed to see one go through the basket before he was pulled off the court for the last time.

This could've gone better. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 15 points on 4-of-13 shooting, five assists and three rebounds. He shot 1-of-7 from 3 and went 6-of-7 on free throws. He also had three steals. He only played 23 minutes and sat out the fourth quarter.

Despite Gilgeous-Alexander's stinker, the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the Memphis Grizzlies in a 131-80 Game 1 win. They led by as many as 56 points in one of the most lopsided postseason games in NBA history.

It was the rare off-night for Gilgeous-Alexander. Perhaps being out for nearly two weeks caused some rustiness. The shot-taking process was solid as he got to his spots. But his shots rimmed out or barely missed each time. It's the first time he's scored under 20 points since October.

"I have a great group of guys around me and I know that. I've known that for a long time. Tonight is no surprise," Gilgeous-Alexander said on his teammates picking up the slack. "They obviously played amazing. If it was a bunch of me's out there tonight, it might've not looked like this. But that's why you have a team for."

Usually, the probable MVP winner underperforming to this degree would steal all national headlines for all the wrong reasons. In this example, it became a footnote to one of the most historic wins in NBA playoffs history. That's how scarily deep the Thunder are. The Grizzlies can only shudder at the thought of what might happen once he gets back in a groove.

"I loved it. The goal tonight when we woke up was to win the game and nothing else mattered. We did that," Gilgeous-Alexander said on his 23 minutes. "Whatever it looks like, I'll take it. As long as we win, I'm happy."

One of the biggest questions for the Thunder heading into the playoffs was what everybody besides Gilgeous-Alexander does. Last year's playoff run was spoiled because nobody else could've created offense. Through one game, those concerns don't exist.

Still, if the Thunder want to win a championship, Gilgeous-Alexander must play better. He's one of the best players in the NBA. It didn't matter in Game 1, but it could in future playoff matchups. But eh, let's cut him some slack as he finished the regular season with a 76-game 20-plus point streak.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had rare off-night against Grizzlies in Game 1

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