Thunder: NBA Finals Defeat, SGA Takes Responsibility. Decisive Game 7

INDIANAPOLIS – In a crucial game with the opportunity to secure the championship, the Oklahoma City Thunder showed a performance below expectations. “The truth is, we played terribly tonight,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder’s star, after the 108-91 loss to the Indiana Pacers in the sixth game of the NBA Finals. “We need to learn from this. We have a game for everything we’ve worked for, and they do too. The best team on Sunday will win.” Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of the Thunder’s starters will arrive rested for Sunday’s seventh game, after being substituted in the final quarter when the Pacers already had a 30-point lead. The MVP’s performance was particularly careless, committing eight of Oklahoma City’s 21 turnovers. These eight turnovers are the most Gilgeous-Alexander has had in a playoff game, matching his personal record in the regular season. It also ties the most turnovers in a Finals game in at least 40 years.

“I think some of them were due to carelessness, lack of focus and commitment,” explained Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 21 points (7 of 15 in shots) and only two assists. “They played with more intensity than us tonight, and when a team plays with more intensity, it usually causes turnovers in the other team.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The Pacers didn’t employ the relentless full-court press they had used throughout the series. Gilgeous-Alexander expressed his surprise at the high number of turnovers, even though Indiana picked up the Thunder’s ball handlers in the low court.

“From our point of view, it was atypical,” commented coach Mark Daigneault. “It was disappointing. It was collective. It wasn’t just one player. We just weren’t where we needed to be on either end of the court for a large part of the game. We have to improve a lot before Game 7.”

Mark Daigneault

Turnovers weren’t the only offensive problem for the Thunder in this series-extending loss. Oklahoma City shot 38.2% from the field through the three quarters in which the regular rotation played, before Daigneault decided to call it a game and focus on Game 7. This included just three of 20 three-point attempts before the final quarter.

“I feel like it got complicated,” said Jalen Williams, referring to the lack of fluidity in Oklahoma City’s offense during the game. “Our defense wasn’t very good. When you’re constantly bringing the ball up and playing against a set defense over and over, that takes a toll. On the other hand, we didn’t trust each other enough to make the next play, like we did in Game 5”.

Jalen Williams

The Thunder were outscored by 40 points during the 27 minutes Williams was on the court, the worst +/- by any player in a Finals game in the play-by-play era, which began in 1997-98. Gilgeous-Alexander acknowledged that the opportunity to secure the championship, the first for the franchise since they moved to Oklahoma City, was on the minds of the Thunder as they began Game 6. “We didn’t play like it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That’s why the night was what it was. We got exactly what we deserved, what we earned. We have to take that.”