SGA minimizes fatigue in Thunder’s loss to Pacers: “We have to endure”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander denies that fatigue influenced the defeat

INDIANAPOLIS – Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wouldn’t admit that fatigue was a factor in his poor performance in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s Game 3 loss to the Pacers. Gilgeous-Alexander insisted that fatigue cannot be an excuse, no matter how much the Pacers prioritize wearing him down.

“You have to hold on,” Gilgeous-Alexander said Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. “There are a maximum of four games left in the season. It’s what you worked for all season. It’s what you worked for all summer. For me, as I see it, you have to hold on, do it, and try to get a win.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, finished with 24 points and four assists in Game 3, a significant decrease compared to his sensational performance of 34 points and eight assists in Oklahoma City’s Game 2 victory. His six turnovers in Wednesday’s loss were the most he has committed in a playoff game. Gilgeous-Alexander was limited to only three points on 1-of-3 shooting with no assists, as the Pacers rallied in the final quarter to secure the victory that gave Indiana a 2-1 series lead.

“I think we’re trying to make it difficult for him,” said Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, Gilgeous-Alexander’s primary defender. “The most important thing is to be persistent, try to make it difficult for him. It’s a team effort. We all have to be focused and united on that end of the court to achieve it.”

Andrew Nembhard

According to GeniusIQ tracking, a defender picked up Gilgeous-Alexander at an average of 65.5 feet from the basket as he brought the ball up in Game 3. That’s the longest distance of any game in his career, whether regular season or playoffs. Gilgeous-Alexander brought the ball up the court only 23 times, his second-lowest number in a game this postseason. The Pacers also made Gilgeous-Alexander fight for every step in the half court. Indiana attacked him 12 times, the most he has faced in a playoff game, according to ESPN Research. And Indiana made Gilgeous-Alexander work tirelessly on the other end as well. He was the primary defender on 22 field goal attempts, which was also his most in a playoff game. However, Gilgeous-Alexander downplayed fatigue as an issue in the final quarter, when the Pacers outscored the Thunder by a margin of 32-18 for Indiana’s second comeback win of the series. “I’m not too sure. I don’t think so,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s a physical game. We’ve had a lot of physical games. We’ve had games like that where I’ve been great at the end, games where I’ve stunk at the end. I don’t think it was anything out of the ordinary, nothing I haven’t seen before.”