Shai Gilgeous-Alexander downplays any fatigue concerns after Game 3 loss to Pacers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander downplays any fatigue concerns after Game 3 loss to Pacers
Putting his hands on his knees, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked tired out in the final minutes of the Oklahoma City Thunder's 116-107 Game 3 loss to the Indiana Pacers. If you zoomed in enough, you could see the Gatorade symbol underneath his sneakers.
A lot has been made about the Pacers' rapid pace. They've outrun teams in the gym. That's been a key component to their improbable 2-1 series lead in the 2025 NBA Finals. Two wins away from an all-time upset, they have the entire NBA world puzzled.
Even with two days off, Gilgeous-Alexander was on fumes. The Pacers smelled blood in the water. They won the fourth quarter with a 32-18 score to mount a late comeback. They've won all three fourth quarters through three games of this championship series. That's been highlighted with Tyrese Haliburton's Game 1 game-winner.
Never playing professional basketball this deep in the summer, Gilgeous-Alexander refuses ot use fatigue as an excuse for his forgettable 24 points on 9-of-20 shooting performance. He understands he must be better in Game 4, which is the biggest game of the Thunder's current window.
"Yeah, you got to suck it up. 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," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "To me, the way I see it, you got to suck it up, get it done and try to get a win."
The Thunder will go as far as Gilgeous-Alexander carries them. He was unstoppable through the first two games of the series. But Game 3 was the first time the Pacers drew blood from the MVP winner. Andrew Nembhard helped slow him down with a pedestrian outing.
Gilgeous-Alexander has to battle through any signs of fatigue with just one day between Games 3 and 4. The Thunder enter a do-or-die scenario that could determine how this championship series shakes out.
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