In mid-December, Denver’s Nikola Jokic had a healthy lead on Gilgeous-Alexander in ESPN’s MVP straw poll, conducted several times over the course of each season by Tim Bontemps.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 54 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 123-114 home win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. Neither team led by double digits until the Thunder pulled away in the last three minutes.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 54 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Utah Jazz 123-114

With 41 points after three quarters, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took advantage of the close score to shatter his career high. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a career-best 54 points on 17-of-35 shooting,

Oklahoma City is no longer playing with house money, as this has turned into a season with serious expectations.

But the lowly Utah Jazz pushed Gilgeous-Alexander further on Wednesday. With both of Oklahoma City's centers sidelined due to injury and the bulk of the roster struggling to make

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 54 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Utah Jazz 123-114 on Wednesday night.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked every bit the MVP in putting up 54 points on the Jazz Wednesday night — the first 50-point game of his career. That big number was fueled by SGA getting to the free throw line and hitting 17-of-18 on the night.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 54 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 123-114 home win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.