INDIANAPOLIS — Thunder celebrity Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would not go so far as to say that fatigue was a consider him fizzling within the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s Recreation 3 loss to the Pacers.
However Gilgeous-Alexander was adamant that fatigue cannot be an excuse, irrespective of how a lot the Pacers make it a precedence to put on him down.
“You bought to suck it up,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. “There is a most 4 video games left within the season. It is what you labored the entire season for. It is what you labored all summer season for. To me, the best way I see it, you bought to suck it up, get it finished and attempt to get a win.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA MVP, completed with 24 factors and 4 assists in Recreation 3, a big drop-off from his sensational 34-point, eight-assist efficiency in Oklahoma Metropolis’s Recreation 2 win. His six turnovers in Wednesday’s loss have been probably the most he has dedicated in a playoff sport.
Gilgeous-Alexander was held to solely three factors on 1-of-3 taking pictures with no assists because the Pacers rallied within the fourth quarter for the win that gave Indiana a 2-1 collection deficit.
“I believe we’re attempting to make it powerful on him,” stated Pacers taking pictures guard Andrew Nembhard, the first defender on Gilgeous-Alexander. “The most important factor is simply you are persistent, attempting to make it powerful on him. It is a workforce job. All of us must be locked in and tied collectively on that finish of the ground to get it finished.”
In accordance with GeniusIQ monitoring, a defender picked up Gilgeous-Alexander a median of 65.5 ft away from the basket when he was bringing the ball up in Recreation 3. That is the furthest of any sport in his profession, common season or playoff.
Gilgeous-Alexander introduced the ball up the ground solely 23 occasions, his second fewest in a sport this postseason.
The Pacers additionally made Gilgeous-Alexander struggle for each step within the half court docket. Indiana blitzed him 12 occasions, probably the most he has ever confronted in a playoff sport, in accordance with ESPN Analysis.
And Indiana made Gilgeous-Alexander work relentlessly on the opposite finish, too. He was the first defender in 22 subject purpose makes an attempt, which was additionally his most ever in a playoff sport.
But Gilgeous-Alexander downplayed exhaustion as a problem within the fourth quarter, when the Pacers outscored the Thunder by a 32-18 margin for Indiana’s second comeback win of the collection.
“I am not too positive. I do not suppose so,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “It is a bodily sport. We have had loads of bodily video games. We have had video games like that the place I have been nice late, video games the place I’ve stunk late. I do not suppose it was something out the blue, something I hadn’t seen earlier than.”