Alexander, a dizzying ball handler and Williams’ co-star, was the first to greet him, hand extended from his camouflage sleeve.  “You good, brodie,” Gilgeous-Alexander told him, working every muscle in his face with animated encouragement.

Alexander sat out Friday's 106-98 loss to the Dallas Mavericks due to a sprained right wrist. Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA's scoring leader and an MVP front-runner, was a late addition to the injury report.

Kyrie Irving scored 25 points, Spencer Dinwiddie and P.J. Washington Jr. added 16 apiece and the Dallas Mavericks beat Oklahoma City 106-98 as Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed his first game of the season.