Shai Gilgeous-Alexander saw his hopes of back-to-back NBA championships die on Saturday night as the San Antonio Spurs celebrated a dramatic win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.
But that didn’t stop the two-time MVP from facing more allegations of flopping from fans on social media.
The officials’ treatment of Gilgeous-Alexander became a recurring theme of the Western Conference Finals and the Thunder star was back under the microscope on Saturday night.
Oklahoma City was beaten 111-103 in Game 7 but social media was still awash with comments accusing him of, among other things, ‘foul baiting’ and ‘flopping.’
One clip that soon went viral showed Gilgeous-Alexander crashing to the floor after appearing to invite contact with Devin Vassell.
In another incident, the Thunder star brushed Stephon Castle as he jumped to shoot. Gilgeous-Alexander landed on his rival’s foot and then tumbled to the floor. This time, though, no foul was called.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander faced more allegations of flopping as the Thunder lost to the Spurs
The two-time MVP saw his hopes of another NBA championship die on Saturday night
One viral clip showed Gilgeous-Alexander crashing to the floor when up against Devin Vassell
‘Refs aren’t falling for SGA’s flops,’ one fan wrote alongside the video. Another user accused him of ‘foul baiting’ and being the ‘worst MVP the league has seen.’
‘All he does is flop,’ another claimed, while one fan urged the officials to be more strict, writing: ‘Come on, stop calling this BS.’
Gilgeous-Alexander was also mocked in the wake of the Thunder’s playoff loss, with one fan writing: ‘He can finally receive treatment for his vertigo over the summer.’
Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 35 points and nine assists, but for the eighth season in a row the NBA will have a new champion.
‘They were just the better team tonight, from start to finish,’ he said afterwards. ‘And every time we tried to cut into it and take control of the game, it felt like they had an answer.
He added: ‘Hats off to them. They played better tonight and they deserved to win the game.’
