The Oklahoma City Thunder were not able to get the win against the Indiana Pacers in Game 3, and now trail the series 2-1. Late down the stretch of the game, the Thunder were not able to execute the way they liked, and it was the Pacers’ defense that put the pressure on them. More specifically, it seemed as if Andrew Nembhard turned on the intensity against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has had the assignment of guarding him this series.
During media availability, a reporter asked Gilgeous-Alexander about Nembhard and how he’s been guarding him.
“You seem a little more emotionally agitated in this series by [Andrew] Nembhard than anybody else you’ve played against this year,” the reporter said. “Is he doing anything extra to get under your skin?”
“You seem a little more emotionally agitated in this series by [Andrew] Nembhard… Is he doing anything extra to get under your skin?”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t feel emotionally agitated at all.”
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Gilegous-Alexander, a person who rarely shows emotion, answered the question as honestly as possible.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t feel emotionally agitated at all, so I don’t know what’s going on,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
The Pacers are throwing everything they can at Gilgeous-Alexander, and it may be affecting his game, but he always looks even-keeled regardless of what’s going on. It’s also not a surprise that Nembhard is having success against Gilgeous-Alexander, as they’ve been playing against each other for years.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reacts to Thunder’s Game 3 loss
After Game 3, Gilgeous-Alexander shared where he thinks the Thunder went wrong.
“They were aggressive. They were high on the pick-and-rolls, they really were, like coach said, more aggressive, more forceful,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It starts with me, but we gotta apply that pressure back.”
Head coach Mark Daigneault also shared where he thought the Thunder lost.
“We got off to a really good start, and then got off to a really good start in the 3rd,” Daigneault. “We really controlled the 1st and 3rd quarters and had a really hard time the 2nd and the 4th. So we’ll watch it. It wasn’t all bad, but we definitely have to play our style and impose our will for more than 48 minutes if we want to come on the road to win.”
The Thunder went into the fourth quarter with a 89-84 lead, but they were not able to overcome the Pacers’ bench early. Down the stretch, the Thunder went cold, and the Pacers were able to turn up their intensity. The Thunder will now have to go back to the drawing board and find out what they need to do to perform better late in games.
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