Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 51 points for the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 137-128 win over Houston Rockets. With the win, the Thunder improved to 50-11 to cushion their stranglehold of first place in the Western Conference. The 37-24 Rockets remain in fifth place in the West as a potential second-round opponent for the Thunder in the playoffs.

The Houston Rockets lost to the Western Conference No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night, but not in the way most people anticipated. One game after returning to full strength, the Rockets were depleted in Oklahoma City and a matchup between two playoff contenders lost its intrigue — until tipoff.

Although OKC Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the MVP frontrunner, he knows his team has the ability to win it all — and that's most important.