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Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put in concussion protocol

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (C), shown Jan. 22, 2021, suffered the concussion during Wednesday's loss to the Houston Rockets. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (C), shown Jan. 22, 2021, suffered the concussion during Wednesday's loss to the Houston Rockets. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is out indefinitely after being placed in the NBA's concussion protocol, the team announced Thursday.

Gilgeous-Alexander suffered the concussion after two common fouls late in the Thunder's 114-110 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. The former first-round pick scored a season-high 39 points in that defeat.

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The Thunder said in a statement there isn't a timetable for Gilgeous-Alexander's return. Under the league's concussion protocols, he will have to clear a series of steps to ensure he is symptom-free before resuming basketball activities.

The 23-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Thunder this season. He signed a five-year, $172 million contract extension with Oklahoma City this summer.

In their first game after Gilgeous-Alexander's placement in the concussion protocol, the Thunder suffered a historic 152-79 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night.

The Grizzlies' 73-point margin of victory easily surpassed the previous NBA record, which was the Cleveland Cavaliers' 68-point win over the Miami Heat on Dec. 17, 1991.

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Memphis used 12 players and nine of them notched double figures in scoring, with Jaren Jackson Jr.'s 27 points leading the way for the Grizzlies, who were without injured guard Ja Morant.

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