Thunders Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doesnt hold back on his awful Game 3: Died by my decisions
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t mince words after a game where nothing he tried to do went right. The Thunder star, and potential NBA MVP this season, had just 18 points during a woeful 7-of-22 shooting night that included him going 1-of-8 in the fourth quarter of a 113-104 overtime loss to the Nuggets in Game 3 on Friday night in Denver. He did not take a shot in the extra session and Denver now leads the top-seeded Thunder, 2-1, in the Western Conference semifinals series. “The game gets slower, execution matters more,” Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters.“In those moments when the game slows down, it usually comes down to your best players making shots and making plays.
I didn’t do a good enough job of that tonight, and I think that’s the main reason for the outcome.”The Thunder’s Jalen Williams did pick up the slack with a career-high 32 points, but it wasn’t enough.Gilgeous-Alexander even admitted he should have deferred more to Williams in the fourth quarter and questioned some of his shot selection. According to ESPN, 18 of his 22 shots were contested and he was just 3-of-10 with Christian Braun defending him.Gilgeous-Alexander took just five free throws.“Honestly, the way I see it is you live or die by your decisions, and tonight I died by my decisions,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
“It just comes with the game.I’ve been in a position and made tough shots and got a pat on the back after a game, and I’m willing to take it on the chest when I don’t make the right play or miss the right shot or whatever it is.
It comes with the game.That comes with the territory.”But it wasn’t just his shooting that went horribly wrong.His teammates made just seven shots on Gilgeous-Alexander’s possible 24 assists, per ESPN.The All-Star heard it from Nuggets fans as he walked off the court, but still made sure to maintain a smile as this series is far from over.Gilgeous-Alexander plans on getting the last laugh.“I don’t ever want to show...