While there might be a bit too much attention being paid to who is the face of the league in the world of NBA media commentary, one way a player can tell if he is close to being that rarest of persons is the degree of hate they get from fans and analysts both.

In a potential NBA Finals preview, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tossed in 34 points and Chet Holmgren added 23 points and 15 rebounds to lead the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder over the Boston Celtics 118-112 on Wednesday.

The Western Conference-leading Thunder withstood a barrage of Boston 3-pointers - a franchise record 63 attempts in all - to sweep the defending NBA champions in the two-game season series and win for the 17th time in their last 18 games.