Alexander peered into the crowd during his stroll off the court and smiled, the only visible set of teeth amid a line of seething Thunder players.  Jeers swelled in his direction. His ears perked up at them,

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder’s franchise cornerstone and an MVP finalist, had one of his toughest nights of the postseason. Yet as he walked off the court, cameras captured him smiling, a reaction that left fans puzzled, critics skeptical, and social media buzzing.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder succumbed to the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series. After making a strong statement in Game 2 with a commanding 149-106 win, the Thunder couldn't keep up against Nikola Jokic and Co., going down 2-1 after three matchups.