Shai Gilgeous-Alexander demonstrated his development as a team player during the Oklahoma City Thunder's victory over the Miami Heat, believes coach Mark Daigneault.

The reigning NBA MVP and 2025 Finals MVP had 29 points, eight assists and five rebounds as the Thunder earned a 124-112 win at Paycom Center.

The defending champions have now won three straight games to steady the ship at 33-7, having endured a 6-6 run following their stunning 24-1 start to the season.

Gilgeous-Alexander started slowly on Sunday, missing his first six shots of the game, but he turned it on to finish 10-for-19 from the field and 2-of-6 from 3-point range.

"When I'm out there, I'm so in the moment that I don't think about makes and misses," Gilgeous-Alexander said. 

"It's just how I feel out there, how the game is going, the flow of the game, what kind of stuff we're getting offensively and what we're making them take defensively. That's all that's on my mind."

But Daigneault was most impressed by the way Gilgeous-Alexander linked up with his team-mates, saying: "He's got the ball the whole game, as many of the best players do.

"And with that comes a great deal of responsibility for how the rest of the team plays, the rhythm of your team-mates and all of that stuff. 

"His understanding of that over time has grown immensely. I thought he had a great blend tonight, despite the fact that he got it going there with the shot making. I thought he played a really, really strong floor game on that end."

See you on Tuesday, OKC  pic.twitter.com/YeHnnzy8oF

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 12, 2026

The Thunder are back in action on Tuesday, when they host the San Antonio Spurs, who are 27-12 for the season following a 104-103 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 29 points on his first start since returning from a knee injury, having come off the bench in each of their previous three games.

"I think it's definitely been a challenge for him, just navigating injuries this year," team-mate Harrison Barnes said of the former No. 1 draft pick.

"You're playing a lot. You go out with a minutes restriction, you go out again on a mid-restriction... It's not easy, coming back from injury on back-to-back back-to-backs.

"But I thought he did a great job. He has to continue to be aggressive, continue to progress and continue to trust himself. You know that we have a lot of trust in him."