Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander determined to 'suck it up,' attack in Game 4
June 12 - INDIANAPOLIS -- Physical and fast was the Pacers' defensive approach in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, and more of the same is coming until Shai Gilgeous-Alexander proves he and the Thunder can handle it.
"You got to suck it up. There's a maximum four games left in the season," Gilgeous-Alexander said Thursday of the hands-on defense from Indiana in Game 3. "It's what you worked the whole season for. It's what you worked all summer for. To me, the way I see it, you got to suck it up, get it done and try to get a win."
Game 4 on Friday is vital to Oklahoma City after falling behind 2-1 in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. Indiana appeared to be the better conditioned team on Wednesday night, closing out Game 3 with a finishing kick and riding the adrenaline of a locked-in home crowd. Pacers' coach Rick Carlisle gave additional credit to Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard and Aaron Nesmith for their collective defensive effort and the role it played in limiting Gilgeous-Alexander's contributions.
"I wouldn't say it surprised me," Thunder forward Chet Holmgren said of the Pacers' stamina in Game 3. "That's kind of been I guess you could say their identity leading up to this series. It's what's showed up in the games up to this point. We have to figure out a way to counteract that and kind of change that and swing it in our favor because it's not a winning formula to not be better than the other team in the fourth quarter."
Gilgeous-Alexander had only four free throw attempts in the second half of Game 3 and appeared to wear down late in the game. He only took three shots in the final 12 minutes.
"We were a little out of character in a lot of ways yesterday," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "I think that happens in a playoff series. Four games, five games, six games, seven games is a long time. You're going to get a range of games and experiences in that. We have to get it course corrected pretty quickly if we want to give ourselves a better chance in Game 4."
--Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
41 minutes ago
- Reuters
Messi magic needed for Inter Miami as injuries pile up
MIAMI, June 13 (Reuters) - Inter Miami will have to rely heavily on Lionel Messi's firepower as they prepare for Saturday's Club World Cup opener against Al-Ahly, with coach Javier Mascherano forced to re-shuffle his backline due to a string of injuries. Fullback Jordi Alba, fellow defender Gonzalo Lujan and defensive midfielder Yannick Bright have all been ruled out of the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium. "They are not available for this game, hopefully they will be for the second game," Mascherano told a press conference on Friday. Alba, one of Messi's former Barcelona teammates, is sidelined with a hamstring issue. There were also concerns regarding the fitness of centre back David Martinez. "David had some kind of pain yesterday and we did not want to take any risks," said Mascherano. "The reality is that throughout the season, the team have dealt with injuries, but the players who stepped in rose to the challenge. That gives us peace of mind," he said. Miami have conceded 16 goals in their last six competitive games. Much of Miami's chances rest on Messi's shoulders. "He's in good shape this season. There were moments when we had to give him some time to rest, but he's played the last 15 games, except for the match against Dallas when we rested the entire squad," said Mascherano. "We were also fortunate he was able to rest during Argentina's last two games," he added referring to Messi playing 111 minutes in Argentina's World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia earlier this month. "It's our responsibility to create the right environment for him to shine." Miami will also take on Porto and Palmeiras in the 32-club competition.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Former Prairie View A&M college football player dies at 22
Former Prairie View A&M college football player Jackson Bailey has died at the age of 22, the school announced on Tuesday. Bailey, who began his college career at Arizona before transferring to Louisiana-Monroe, was on Prairie View's roster for the 2023-24 season. In a statement on the athletic department's website, the school did not disclose a cause of death for Bailey. 'The Prairie View A&M University Department of Athletics extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, teammates, and fraternity brothers of Jackson 'Jacks' Bailey, a cherished member of the Panther football program and the PVAMU community,' the statement began. 'Jackson joined the football team for the 2023–24 season. Although he did not appear in any official games, his presence and energy were felt deeply within the locker room and across campus. A proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. – Zeta Beta Chapter, Jackson exemplified brotherhood, resilience, and purpose. The statement went on to say that Bailey 'brought a light-hearted and grounded spirit to everything' before touching on his faith. 'His favorite words to live by were: 'God got me.' These words guided his path on and off the field.'
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Caitlin Clark to return to the Indiana Fever after missing last five games
INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark ended practice Friday by making a halfcourt shot and winning a little bit of lunch money in the process. And with that, the Indiana Fever star is ready to play again. Clark — barring any unforeseen setbacks — is expected to be in the lineup when the Fever play host to the reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty on Saturday afternoon. She missed the last five Indiana games with a quadriceps injury. "As long as we don't have any regressions, she's going to be ready to roll," Fever coach Stephanie White said. Clark returned to practice this week, and her comeback game just happens to be a nationally televised one against the Liberty — the defending champs and, at 9-0, the last unbeaten team left in the league this season. New York is winning its games by an average of 19 points. "I'm really excited," Clark said. "I think it's definitely been a process. I think the hardest part is when you like begin to feel really good and then it's just a process of working yourself back into actually getting up and down and getting out there with my teammates." The halfcourt shot at the end of practice was the kicker of a friendly competition, and Clark (who says she rarely wins the halfcourt contests) did wave a few dollars that she won around afterward — in case anyone needed a reminder of her shooting range. The Fever (4-5) went 2-3 in Clark's absence. She was averaging 19 points, 9.3 assists, six rebounds and 1.3 steals per game when she got hurt. There's still a long way to go this season, but no player in WNBA history has ever finished a season averaging that many points, assists, rebounds and steals per game. Clark freely acknowledges that she's not a patient person, but she understood the process and why it was important to not skip any steps in her recovery. Among the treatments: "anything under the sun," she said, including everything from massage to weights to hyperbaric therapy. "It was certainly a learning opportunity, and I think it's going to benefit me a lot throughout my career, just falling back and understanding certain moments like this," Clark said. "But I'm super, super excited. I'm antsy to get out there and probably shake off a little bit of rust and then play." Clark's return is the latest bit of big basketball news in Indianapolis, along with the Indiana Pacers going into Friday's Game 4 of the NBA Finals leading the Oklahoma City Thunder 2-1. Clark and many other Fever players were at Game 3 on Wednesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the same court where they'll be taking on the Liberty on Saturday. Even though Clark and the Fever have an early game Saturday, some — Clark included — plan on at least seeing some of Game 4 on Friday night. "It's incredible. It's incredible," White said when asked about the energy around basketball in Indianapolis right now. "As someone who grew up in the state of Indiana and as the saying goes, 'This is Indiana.' And so, the energy's incredible. It's such a fun time to be in the city." The Fever are also expected to have guard Sophie Cunningham (ankle) back for the game against the Liberty on Saturday. Cunningham has averaged 6.5 points in four games so far this season. "It's really reintegrating two of our top six players, right? Reintegrating them back into the system," White said. "Some of the things that we run will look different than without Caitlin on the floor, certainly. Sophie's versatility and being able to play in multiple positions ... it is like starting Day 1 again."
