Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Makes Thunder Playoff History Despite Loss to Pacers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Makes Thunder Playoff History Despite Loss to Pacers originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Game 3 of the NBA Finals did not go the way that the Oklahoma City Thunder wanted it to. At the very least, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will have a consolation prize from Wednesday night.
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The Thunder lost a disappointing 116-107 ball game to the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It was another instance of the Pacers refusing to go away and securing the victory down the stretch.
Key performances from Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and even Bennedict Mathurin helped guide the Pacers to the 2-1 series lead over the Thunder. Indiana continues to maintain the homecourt advantage that was stolen in Oklahoma City.
Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) battle.© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Game 3 was Gilgeous-Alexander's weakest performance of the series thus far. In all fairness, his lackluster is someone else's elite.
The 2024-25 NBA MVP scored 24 points to go with eight rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. However, the six turnovers will stick out painfully for anyone paying attention.
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Despite that, Gilgeous-Alexander managed to secure some Thunder franchise history, despite the loss. Tonight's scoring performance gave the Thunder superstar sole possession of the most points scored in a single postseason run in franchise history.
Gilgeous-Alexander eclipsed Kevin Durant's previous mark in 2012 of 570 points in the process. Russell Westbrook trails the two other franchise greats for this distinction. Westbrook is third on the list with 507 points scored in 2014.
There is no doubt that Gilgeous-Alexander will pad the lead on this record some more before the 2025 NBA Playoffs are over. The superstar point guard has been a scoring machine all season long for the Thunder.
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The big question from here is whether or not that will translate to an NBA championship for Oklahoma City. The Thunder will need every bit of the MVP-level player that Gilgeous-Alexander is for the rest of their matchup against the Pacers.
Related: Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin Makes NBA History in Game 3 vs. Thunder
Related: Concerning NBA Finals Trend Haunting OKC Thunder Against Indiana Pacers
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
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