Gilgeous‑Alexander Clutch Award

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the National Basketball Association’s 2025-26 Clutch Player of the Year award on April 21 after leading the league in late-game scoring. (nba.com) The award, also called the Jerry West Trophy, goes to the player judged best in “clutch time” — games within five points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 175 clutch points, 6.5 clutch points per game, and an NBA-high 16 go-ahead field goals in those situations. (nba.com) The timing puts another honor on Gilgeous-Alexander’s résumé just as Oklahoma City opened the playoffs. The Thunder beat Phoenix 119-84 in Game 1 on April 19 and 120-107 in Game 2 on April 22, with Game 3 set for April 25 in Phoenix. (espn.com) Oklahoma City entered this postseason as the West’s No. 1 seed for a third straight year after finishing 64-18. ESPN reported the Thunder also secured home-court advantage throughout the postseason. (espn.com, espn.com) That seeding matters because Oklahoma City is defending the franchise’s first championship since moving from Seattle. Gilgeous-Alexander was already the reigning 2025 National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player and 2025 Finals Most Valuable Player after averaging 30.3 points in the title series. (nba.com, espn.com) The Clutch award is a newer honor by league standards. The National Basketball Association introduced it in the 2022-23 season, and Gilgeous-Alexander now joins De’Aaron Fox, Stephen Curry and Jalen Brunson on the winners list. (nba.com) His case this season was built on volume and efficiency in the same possessions that usually decide playoff games. National Basketball Association stats pages tied the award directly to his league-leading clutch scoring, while the official announcement highlighted his shot-making when Oklahoma City needed a go-ahead basket. (nba.com, nba.com) The bigger test starts now, not in the voting. The 2026 National Basketball Association playoffs began April 18, and the Thunder are trying to turn Gilgeous-Alexander’s regular-season poise into a second straight title run. (nba.com, espn.com)