During a hard-fought Game 3 of their playoff series, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander experienced a healthy dose of pressure from the Indiana Pacers. As a consequence, he put together quite a disappointing performance from his previous outing. Despite being named the NBA MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander struggled, committing six turnovers, the most he has recorded in a playoff game. The Pacers used an intense double team that made him work harder to cross half court than any player should have to.
Gilgeous-Alexander under duress In Game 3, defenders harassed Gilgeous-Alexander 5.55 feet from the hoop on average. This distance represents the greatest he’s ever been defended conceding in both regular season and playoff contests. The problem was that his aggressive strategy left virtually no realistic opportunities. He initiated the offense in transition just 23 times throughout Game 2, the second-lowest total in this postseason for him as well.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s offensive output took a hit as he managed to score just 24 points on 7-of-17 shooting, alongside four assists. This performance was an enormous drop off from his extraordinary Game 2, in which he scored 34 points and dished out eight assists. In the fourth quarter he became a liability on the floor. He had just three points, 1-of-3 shooting and zero assists.
The Pacers’ defensive strategy was particularly intense. Most impressively, they blitzed Gilgeous-Alexander a ridiculous 12 times throughout the game. That’s the most amount he has had to deal with in any playoff series. On top of that, he was the primary defender on 22 field goal attempts—which is yet another record for him in playoff history.
Andrew Nembhard, a defender for the Pacers, commented on the team’s approach to Gilgeous-Alexander: “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.”
Even given all of that, Gilgeous-Alexander dismissed any notion of tired legs contributing to his fourth-quarter meltdown. He paused and answered, “I’m not too sure … I don’t think so actually.” Here’s how he answered when he was asked whether fatigue played a factor in his difficulty. He went on to stress the need for resilience. “You just have to deal with it.” He demonstrated this mindset in the midst of a team-wide battle as they steamrolled through the playoffs.
Unfortunately, Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are recently past the midway mark of the season with only four games remaining. They must refocus and refocus fast to prepare for their rematch with Indiana. Their collective goal is to make a deeper playoff run than before. Getting past complicated defensive schemes such as the ones used by the Pacers will be key to their success.
Leave a Reply