Midway through an NBA season in which he’s become an MVP favorite, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was announced Thursday night as an All-Star starter in next month’s game in San Francisco.

With less than a minute left in the third quarter, Brunson, a body-weight shifting, tear-drop gifting star guard, seemed to have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fooled. Imprisoned. Out of reach to nibble ...