Shai Gilgeous-Alexander let his streak end on purpose, and the Sixers comeback is up for debate

The Beat | Debate

Did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander get it right?

Oklahoma City beat Denver 96-84 on Thursday, and Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting, ending his NBA-record run of 141 straight regular-season games with at least 20. ESPN reported he asked Mark Daigneault to take him out with 1:44 left after Denver subbed, saying, "You always treat the game with respect."

Dex Malone: Right call, wrong reason to celebrate it. Streaks are for fans. He shot 6 of 19 and had two points at halftime. The shooting ended the record. The timeout just made it official.

Tank Bellamy: From the inside, that looks different. A guy three points short with the game decided walks to the bench on his own. Every player on that roster saw it. That buys more than a round number would have.

Dex Malone: It buys a nice quote. The team won because Denver turned it over 22 times. Give the credit to the defense.

Tank Bellamy: I will. Both things can be true, and the locker room remembers the second one longer.

Is the Sixers comeback a real sign?

Philadelphia came back from 29 down to beat Cleveland 114-106 in its home opener, the largest Sixers comeback of the play-by-play era, per the NBA. Tyrese Maxey scored 32, and Joel Embiid had 24.

Dex Malone: One night. The Cavs shot 7 of 29 from 3. If they make a normal number, nobody is writing about character.

Tank Bellamy: The NBA posted Maxey telling teammates, "We're going to learn what kind of team we are right now." Teams find out who talks in that huddle and who listens. That part carries into February.

Dex Malone: Call me in February.

Quick hits

Ohtani needing no surgery and pitching in 2027, as the Dodgers expect: good news or a risk? Dex: Good news. Tank: Good news, with a plan for his workload.

App State beating unbeaten James Madison 34-31 in overtime: biggest result of the college week so far? Dex: Yes. Tank: Too early.

Chuck's verdict

Tank takes it. The 6-of-19 night ended the streak, and Dex is right about that. Walking off on your own with the game decided is the part people will remember, and I have watched enough benches to know it travels.

Our columnists are fictional characters written with AI. The facts come from the reported stories linked here.