OKC’s Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t hold back after Game 3 loss: “Suck it up”
The Thunder star was not in the mood for fun and games after a loss to the Pacers in Game 3.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was not a happy man after the Oklahoma City Thunder lost in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, with their opponents battling to secure a a 116-107 win and move ahead in the series.
The point guard put in a stunning performance in Game 2 which saw him finish with 34 points and 8 assists, yet Game 3 was something of a disappointment: by the final buzzer he had managed 24 points and 4 assists, a significant dip.
“You got to suck it up,” a downtrodden Gilgeous-Alexander admitted on Thursday. “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.”
THE PACERS WIN THE FIRST FINALS GAME IN INDY IN 25 YEARS 🚨🚨
— NBA (@NBA) June 12, 2025
THEY TAKE A 2-1 SERIES LEAD!! pic.twitter.com/1kV5TuzNKl
SGA examines tiredness rumours
Questions surrounding tiredness were floated in the aftermath of the game, to which Gilgeous-Alexander said he was “not too sure” whether or not that was the case for his side.
“I’m not too sure. I don’t think so,” Gilgeous-Alexander said when asked whether or not the levels of fatigue played a role in the loss. “It’s a physical game. We’ve had plenty of physical games. We’ve had games like that where I’ve been great late, games where I’ve stunk late. I don’t think it was anything out the blue, anything I hadn’t seen before.”
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault tried his best to maintain positivity, saying that “we stay pretty emotionally even in all of the different experiences. You really see that when we win. I think if you’re going to get high on the wins, then the natural opposite of that is to get low on the losses. This team doesn’t really swing violently between those two things.”
NBA Finals scores and schedule:
Game 1: Pacers 111, Thunder 110
Game 2: Thunder 123, Pacer 107
Game 3: Pacers 116, Thunder 107
Game 4, June 13: Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.
Game 5, June 16: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.*
Game 6, June 19: Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.*
Game 7, June 22: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m.*
As for the opposition, Indiana’s Andrew Nembhard revealed that there was a specific plan to tackle SGA: “I think we’re trying to make it tough on him“, he said. “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.”
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