"They were high on the pick-and-rolls" - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shares what went wrong in Game 3 against Indiana Pacers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander attended the Game 3 postgame presser and reflected on the factors that worked against them. The superstar's team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, could not perform to the mark in Game 3 and dropped the game to the Indiana Pacers, who led the series 2-1.
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Shai also shared how he plans to improve individual performance. He netted only 3 points in quarter 4, which startled the OKC fans as well.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reflected on things gone awry in Game 3
Game 3 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers was played at the home court of the Pacers on June 11. The home team won it 116-107, scoring a 2-1 lead in the Finals series. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, along with the coach and teammates, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, attended the postgame presser. He appreciated wholeheartedly the defense of the opponent team and said:
'Yeah, they were aggressive.
They were. They were hitting the pick-and-rolls. Like Coach said, they were just more aggressive, more forceful.
It starts with me — we've got to apply that pressure back. Especially if we want to beat a team like that on the road, we have to be the more forceful team. For sure.'
The OKC superstar also had to face some tough questions for his dismal performance in the fourth quarter. He scored only 3 points in the fourth quarter.
Disappointed by the setback, a Reddit user commented, 'Only scored 3 pts in 4th quarter.'
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shared plans on how to improve individual performance
One of the reporters prodded him on his performance during the presser. He was asked what kept him from get going in the fourth quarter. He scored only 3 points in that quarter. Addressing the question, he shared:
'It's hard to say, like…
It's hard to say 'cause I don't see it from a bird's-eye view right now. After watching film, we'll definitely have a better idea.'
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He again got back to how aggressive the Pacers were, and commented, 'But they were aggressive. They were heavy in the crowd.'
Post Game Media Availability | NBA Finals | OKC Thunder at Indiana Pacers | June 11, 2025
He further said, 'I'm not sure how many points they had, but it felt like… when they scored, we were going against a set defense — and it's always harder against a set defense.
So off the top of my head, those are a few things. But I'm sure there's probably more that we can weave through once we watch the film first."
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also shared how they plan to make a comeback and said:
'Yeah, learn from your mistakes. Rest. Recover. Do everything we can to be a better basketball team come next game.
Yeah, I'd say those things.'
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's score chart in Game 3
Game 3 did not find Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in his natural element. He was seen struggling throughout the game, with nil points scored by him in the first quarter. Shai tried to gain control in quarters 2 and 3, and scored about 21 points in that part of the game.
However, when needed the most in the fourth quarter, his performance slumped again, leading him to score only 3 points.
Here is the quarter-wise score of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 3
1st quarter: nil
2nd &3rd quarter: ~21
4th quarter: 3
Also Read:
Along with Shai, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, tried to hold the front for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The trio contributed 26, 2,4, and 20 points respectively in Game 3.
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