- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,150,200
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Drawing the foul on Devin Vassell after getting by him, the San Antonio crowd was in disbelief and in anger as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kept baiting the opposition to get a little too physical with him. Ear-ringing 'Flopper' chants drowned the lower bowl. For the two-time MVP winner, he's used to the animosity at this point.
The Oklahoma City Thunder somehow, someway picked up a 123-108 Game 3 win over the San Antonio Spurs. They're back in the driver's seat with a 2-1 series lead in the 2026 Western Conference Finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 26 points on 6-of-17 shooting, 12 assists and two rebounds. He shot 2-of-4 from 3 and went 12-of-12 on free throws. He also had one block.
Synonymous with their slow start, Gilgeous-Alexander revved up the scoring engine in the second half. He had 17 points to help put the Spurs away. Seldom driving to the rim and not seeing his mid-range jumper fall at its usual clip, the 27-year-old relied on his foul-drawing ability to put up his points.
It might upset the Twitter folks and San Antonio crowd, but Gilgeous-Alexander doesn't mind being unpopular — as long as the Thunder get the playoff win. The Spurs have upped their aggressiveness in stopping the 30-point scoring machine. And that has opened up the floor to the rest of OKC. Feeding the ball to role players has helped them get two straight wins over the Spurs.
The assist numbers show Gilgeous-Alexander making the right read. You're seeing the innate trust in his teammates pays off with high-scoring games. While he's yet to have a video-game-esque scoring output this series, you gotta feel great about his process as a lead ball-handler. He's grown a lot over the years in that department. Now, you're seeing the fruit of all that work at the biggest stage.
"They're aggressive. They're pressuring. They're heavy in the gaps, especially when I have it. Then at times, they send double teams and recklessly — like before halfcourt, after halfcourt. They just send them randomly," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Every time I come down, there's a play for me to make. Whether it's for myself or my teammates. I just try to do so to the best of my ability. Not always going to make the right decision, but I try my best to make the right decision."
The Thunder have found a wacky recipe to be halfway there to clinch an NBA Finals trip. It hasn't been the household names you probably associate the reigning NBA champions with. But Gilgeous-Alexander and the bench guys have stepped up to get these last two wins.
Can't win over everybody. No such thing as living in a world where everybody loves you. Especially when you're an NBA superstar like Gilgeous-Alexander. The San Antonio crowd yelled in unison that he's a flopper. All he could do was smile. He understands that all-time basketball dominance has its taxes. One of those is being a league villain for the rest of the fanbases.
"It's part of the game. I don't expect their fans to love me. It's not how it works. They want their team to win. It's that simple. That's what makes this sport so beautiful," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "The fans behind it and the cheering and the energy that they give to the game. I love and appreciate them, whether they're for me or against me. They've made the game fun."
Up 2-1, the Thunder are back in the driver's seat. Gilgeous-Alexander and friends have delivered two gutsy wins over the Spurs. Now, they've regained homecourt advantage. The most impressive part about this is how they've reached this point. The reigning NBA champions have shown endless ways to win. It doesn't always have to be from your top guys. They've shown their depth is equally capable of making a statement like this.
"They're a really good basketball team. If we don't put our best foot forward, they're capable of beating us. We know that and all we can do is get ready in the present moment and prepare for the next challenge, the next game," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "You can't focus on anything else. Especially when you play a team that good. They're obviously not going to lie down. It's the first to four, not first to two. We know that. They know that. Everybody knows that."
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sends message to haters after Game 3 win over Spurs
Continue reading...
