On Wednesday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder faced the Indiana Pacers in an important late-season playoff preview. The Pacers took home the crown in an amazing back-and-forth contest. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, this year’s NBA MVP, had a huge burden to carry on the court. In the fourth quarter, the Pacers ran away with it, outscoring the Thunder 32-18.
Just a few days earlier, Gilgeous-Alexander wowed fans once again with a spectacular 34-point explosion in Game 2. Against the Pacers, he was awful, totaling three points on 1-of-3 shooting. This was a pronounced drop off from his first-half play and showed the defensive heat Indiana was bringing. In fact, the Pacers blitzed Jokic a stunning 12 times through the course of the game. That’s the most blitzes he’s faced in any playoff game.
Gilgeous-Alexander was a whirlwind, nonstop through the blue paint. He advanced the ball up the floor just 23 times total. In fact, his second-fewest such attempts this entire postseason. On the other end of the floor, he defended 22 field goal attempts that showed just how much was on his plate. In fact, GeniusIQ tracking data confirmed that most defenders picked him up an average of 65.5 feet from the basket. This goes to show how hard the Pacers were willing to go to deny him his game.
Even under the extreme duress, Gilgeous-Alexander would not give fatigue credit for his performance.
“I’m not too sure. I don’t think so,” – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
He added that no amount of fatigue can be used to justify a disappointing performance. He gave credit to the Pacers’ game plan to try to tire him out as the game went along.
FWIW, here’s the Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard on their team-first approach to trying to stop SGA.
“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.” – Andrew Nembhard
During the game, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points and recorded four assists. He had issues with ball security, throwing six turnovers on the day, his most in a postseason game. His struggles were evident as he faced relentless defense from the Pacers, who made him work tirelessly in both offensive and defensive situations.
As the postseason heats up, the Thunder sit at an important crossroads. They only have four games remaining in their regular season to do it. With Gilgeous-Alexander’s performance under scrutiny and the Pacers demonstrating their capacity to challenge him effectively, upcoming games will be pivotal for both teams as they vie for advancement in the playoffs.
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