The Oklahoma City Thunder came up short in Game 3 after a 116-107 showdown in Indiana. With a 2-1 deficit for the series, the Thunder are in a weakened position. After the crushing defeat, each of OKC’s young stars shared their reactions to the loss.
Thunder star and league MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, had this to say about the team’s performance in Game 3 while speaking at the post-game press conference.
“They were aggressive. They were high on the pick-and-rolls, they really were, like the coach said, more aggressive, more forceful. It starts with me, but we gotta apply that pressure back.”
Gilgeous-Alexander has been one of the best players in the series. After breaking records for scoring in the NBA Finals after his first two games, the Thunder guard seemed to have hit a roadblock in Game 3.
With only 24 points on the night, he struggled to get going, shooting an underwhelming 9-20 from the field as well. Although he managed to contribute eight rebounds, four assists, and three blocks to the effort, the OKC guard seemed oddly restricted in Wednesday night’s game.
To say that the loss could only be attributed to Gilgeous-Alexander is also unfair. A lot of things went wrong for the Thunder, and OKC’s big man, Chet Holmgren, opted to take responsibility for his mistakes.
He said, “It starts with me, I’ve got to be better,” reiterating the sentiments expressed by Gilgeous-Alexander. “There were a couple of opportunities that we gave on the inbounds, taking care of the ball. You could look at every single breakdown and see the opportunity to be better.”
“We’ve got to understand that no game’s going to be perfect. Next game’s not going to be perfect. But we have to watch the film and see what we can do to be in a better position to win the game.”
Holmgren’s performance for Game 3 was solid, putting up 20 points and 10 rebounds to go with one steal on the night. While his stats were impressive, it is evident that his shortfalls in establishing himself as a defensive presence had an impact on the result.
Holmgren’s maturity came through in his comments. Although the Thunder’s loss sees them in a troublesome position, the big man emphasized the need to revisit and restrategize.
Thunder guard Jalen Williams also resonated with what Holmgren said. During his press conference appearance, Williams addressed the loss and said, “We’ve been in that exact same kind of predicament. This Game 3 was a better Game 3 than the ones we’ve had, so we’ll take that and run with it.”
“But it’s very pivotal. You don’t like being down in a series,” he added. “But we’ve been here before, and we’ll use that experience and work to get better from it.”
Williams has been vital to the Thunder’s success this season. Earning his first All-Star selection after being the second option behind Gilgeous-Alexander, the guard established his place as one of the team’s most reliable pieces. His consistency showed through on Wednesday night, leading the Thunder’s scoring effort with 26 points, six rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
Coming off a solid performance in the previous game as well, OKC seemed primed for success. Although their core of star players brought their best in Game 3, the team saw a shortfall from their bench.
Key role players such as Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins, who had dominated in Game 2, could not contribute in the same capacity. In many ways, they underperformed as well, with Caruso adding eight points while Wiggins couldn’t score at all.
Meanwhile, the Pacers‘ bench went ballistic, with TJ McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin paving the way for the team. Mathurin notched a team-high 27 points while McConnell delivered a remarkable 10 points, five assists, and five steals to carve out the template for Indiana’s win.
A 2-1 deficit does not bode well for any team, especially in the NBA Finals. However, the Thunder have shown tremendous resilience when facing unfavorable situations this season. Having overcome adversity on multiple occasions, OKC will look to steal a win on the road in Game 4 on Friday at 8:30 pm ET.
