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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 32 in loss to Timberwolves

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points (52% from the floor), two blocks, three steals, five assists, and six rebounds in 36 minutes.

The  City Thunder got their 2022-23 season underway in  on Wednesday, as returned to the lineup for the first time this season after missing training camp and preseason with a grade 2 MCL sprain. Mark Daigneault rolled out a surprising starting lineup that featured the star guard with Lu Dort, Josh Giddey, Kenrich Williams, and Aleksej Pokusevski to match up with the new-look Wolves led by Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert.

Despite a 15-plus-point second-half comeback, the Thunder fell 115-108 as star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 32 points while shooting 52 percent from the floor, two blocks, three steals, five assists, and six rebounds in 36 minutes of work.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had been dealing with an MCL sprain leading up to the opener but he looked absolutely fantastic on Wednesday night. The well-rounded stat line is reminiscent of much of what we saw from the 24-year-old last year, when he emerged as a top-20 fantasy asset at times. SGA has a real chance to produce at that level again or better this season, as the true focal point of the Thunder offense.

On This Day In UK Basketball History

On March 28, 1992, in what many called the “best NCAA Tournament game ever,” Kentucky takes defending NCAA champion Duke into overtime before losing 104-103 in the East Regional finals in Philadelphia. A last-second shot by Christian Laettner sends Duke to the Final Four, and breaks the hearts of Wildcat fans everywhere. It is Cawood Ledford’s last game as the “Voice of the Wildcats.”

 

On March 28, 1998, against Stanford, Kentucky rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit, then grabbed a 5-point overtime lead, before fending off the Cardinals to advance to the title game for the third straight season. Jeff Sheppard canned three long-range three-pointers - two in the final three minutes and one in overtime - en route to a career-high 27 points.

 

On March 28, 2014, unranked Kentucky beat No. 5 Louisville 74-69, in the 2014 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.  Aaron Harrison buried a three-pointer from the left corner with 39 seconds left that put UK ahead to stay before 41,072 in Lucas Oil Stadium.

 

On March 28, 2015, No. 1 Kentucky defeated No. 8 Notre Dame, 68-66, in the 2015 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.  With its 37-0 record on the line, Kentucky trailed Notre Dame 59-53 with 6:14 left. UK rallied in front of 19,464 fans in Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena and preserved its perfect season thanks to a crucial blocked shot by Willie Cauley-Stein and two game-deciding free throws from Andrew Harrison in the final seconds.

 

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