Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the runaway winner in the Clutch Player of the Year award balloting, revealed Tuesday night.
Gilgeous-Alexander received 96 of 100 first-place votes in balloting for the Jerry West Trophy. He had 484 total points, well ahead of Denver Nuggets standout Jamal Murray (117) and Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards (116).
Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning league MVP and is favored to win the award again this season.
But he liked receiving the Jerry West Trophy too.
“This award means a lot,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of the Clutch Player award on NBC Sports. “To get this award, you have to help your team win games late and what I’m about more than anything is winning games.”
Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA with 175 points that occurred in clutch time, defined as games that were within five points in the final five minutes of regulation or overtime.
He shot 60.9% from the field (39 of 64) during clutch time and made a league-best 16 go-ahead field goals.
Fourth-place Cade Cunningham (50 points) of the Detroit Pistons received one first-place vote, fifth-place Jalen Brunson (42 points) of the New York Knicks landed two and sixth-place Nikola Jokic (37 points) of Denver received one.
This was the fourth season in which the award was given out. De’Aaron Fox (then with the Sacramento Kings) won the 2023 award, followed by Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors in 2024 and Brunson last season. Fox now plays for the San Antonio Spurs.
West was known as “Mr. Clutch” during his stellar career (1960-74) with the Los Angeles Lakers due to his many late-game exploits. He died in 2024.
