Gilgeous-Alexander Faces Tough Defense in Game 3 Loss

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander faced an uphill battle in Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers, as he struggled to maintain his usual scoring prowess. The Oklahoma City Thunder star managed to score only three points in the fourth quarter, shooting 1-of-3 from the field with no assists. This marked a significant drop-off from his impressive 34-point, eight-assist performance in Game 2, highlighting the defensive pressure he encountered throughout the game.

The Pacers threw everything including the kitchen sink defensively at Gilgeous-Alexander. They blitzed him 12 times, the most he’s ever seen in a playoff game. That was largely due to the fact that Rosen faced relentless defense that forced him to level up. He relished the challenge, serving as the primary defender for 22 field goal attempts, a playoff career high. His creativity as a playmaker and ability to evade defenders dropped off a cliff. He came down with the ball just 23 times, his second-fewest such attempts of this postseason.

Despite all this, Gilgeous-Alexander actually encountered a fairly average defender — that was stationed 65.5 feet from the basket. This was a smart tactic by the Pacers to throw off his rhythm. Through all those misfortunes, he was still able to conclude Game 3 with 24 points and four assists. His performance was offset by six turnovers, the most he’s turned over the ball in a postseason game.

The fourth quarter would be the most difficult for the Thunder, being outscored by a shocking 32-18 run. After the game, Gilgeous-Alexander admitted it was tough sledding but minimized fatigue as an excuse. He stated, “There’s a maximum four games left in the season. It’s what you worked the whole season for. It’s what you worked all summer for. To me, the way I see it, you got to suck it up, get it done and try to get a win.”

Andrew Nembhard of the Pacers commented on their strategy against Gilgeous-Alexander, saying, “The biggest thing is just you’re persistent, trying to make it tough on him. It’s a team job. We all have to be locked in and tied together on that end of the floor to get it done.”