Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss at least the next five games with an abdominal strain suffered in Tuesday's blowout win over the Orlando Magic, the team announced February 7, 2026. He will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break. Gilgeous-Alexander, the heavy favorite to win back-to-back MVP awards, has played in 49 of the Thunder's 51 games this season. Under the current timetable, he would miss exactly five games before the February 16-18 All-Star break, keeping him eligible for MVP voting with 12 missed games remaining under the 65-game minimum requirement. His top competition, Denver's Nikola Jokic, has already missed 16 games and cannot afford more than one additional absence to remain eligible. SGA will not compete for the World squad at the All-Star Game despite being voted a starter. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver must name a replacement, with Houston's Alperen Sengun (20.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG) and Philadelphia's Joel Embiid as prominent candidates from the snub list. The Thunder (42-9) face a brutal stretch without their MVP: at San Antonio, home vs. Houston, home vs. Lakers, at Phoenix, and home vs. Milwaukee. Oklahoma City is 2-0 this season without SGA, having beaten Memphis and Utah by a combined 34 points. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.4 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 52.1% from the field.