HAMILTON, Ont. — In his first game since his Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals, losing their chance to repeat as NBA champions, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked like he hadn’t missed a beat.Playing in front of his hometown fans in Hamilton’s TD Coliseum, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points in 27 minutes in a 110-84 win over Puerto Rico in FIBA World Cup qualifiers.“I was tired at moments, for sure. I haven’t played in a real game in a long time,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who looked particularly winded in the first quarter. “My teammates made it easy out there. … It was good. It was fun, very fun, first and foremost.”SGA played in a different role for Canada, starting off the ball frequently, with Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard sharing the ball-handling duties in the Canadian starting lineup. Canadian coach Gordie Herbert said Gilgeous-Alexander expressed a desire to play in that role more often. The Thunder star also spent time playing with his cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the reigning Most Improved Player, who had a game-high seven assists.Alexander-Walker missed a few 3s off of passes from Gilgeous-Alexander, causing the two-time MVP to betray a smile.“Those experiences are insane to me, to be playing on this level. I’ve passed him so many outlet passes in our career,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We were just this tall, doing so with baggy jerseys on and socks up to our knees, big shoes. We’ve been through every step of our basketball careers together. To still be doing it at a high level together is an experience that’s hard to put into words, and has me breaking character in the middle of the game.”Gilgeious-Alexander struggled relative to his usual standards against the Spurs, averaging 25.9 points per game on 40.9 percent shooting from the field and 28.6 percent from 3. Yet he was still by far the Thunder’s most consistent offensive player. Oklahoma City has retained Isaiah Hartenstein so far this offseason but moved bench wings Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins in an effort to trim payroll.Gilgeous-Alexander clearly enjoyed playing at home, pointing with both hands to some of the crowd along the baseline after he hit the second of three successive midrange jumpers in the first quarter.After an and-1 bankshot off a spin move in the fourth, the crowd began chanting “MVP.”“It’s amazing. It’s special,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I don’t take those opportunities and moments for granted, to play in front of the people who watched me grow up, essentially.“They were really good to me. Hamilton might need an NBA team.”This was Gilgeous-Alexander’s first game for Canada in nearly two years. The last time he wore a national team jersey, he led Canada to an undefeated run through group play at the Paris Olympics in 2024, before ultimately losing to host France in the quarterfinals.Under new head coach Herbert, Canada Basketball has insisted that players be available to the team, if not necessarily to play, during windows that do not conflict with the NBA season. There is another window in August. These are the last two games of the first round of qualifying in the Americas, and the next window will start the second round. The top seven finishers in qualification will advance to next Summer’s World Cup in Qatar. The top two finishers from the Americas in that tournament, not including the 2028 Olympics hosts the United States, will play in the men’s tournament in Los Angeles.Gilgeous-Alexander leads a group of 14 NBA players who have committed to being with the team. Denver’s Jamal Murray, Golden State’s Andrew Wiggins and Portland’s Shaedon Sharpe are among the players who did not commit and, accordingly, will not be available to play in the World Cup or the 2028 Olympics, assuming Canada qualifies for both.“Playing for your country is what I dreamed about as a kid,” Gilgeous-Alexander said Monday. “Being able to have the opportunity to do this (is special), so I just choose the opportunity to do so every single time. It’s that simple.”Given that Friday night’s game was played an hour west of Toronto, a reporter asked Gilgeous-Alexander about the Raptors’ trade for Kawhi Leonard from the LA Clippers.“As long as I can remember, Toronto has loved the Raptors, the country’s loved the Raptors. I don’t think that will ever change, no matter who plays for them,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But adding a guy like that to your roster, no matter where you’re from or what team you are, amplifies everything — your fanbase, your ability as a team on both ends of the floor. He’s a really good player. Toronto should be a good team next year.”The Clippers included Gilgeous-Alexander in a trade package for Paul George in 2019, which was crucial in their being able to sign Leonard as a free agent after he had led the Raptors to a championship.