While Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace's absurd seven threes helped his team keep the Denver Nuggets at bay in the second half, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's double-double (34 points, 13 assists) sealed a 121-111, wall-to-wall victory. After head coach Mark Daigneault gave Cason Wallace his flowers for scoring a career-high in threes and points (27), Gilgeous-Alexander talked about the significance of beating an elite team, such as the Nuggets.
Gilgeous-Alexander found a healthy balance of when to score and when to facilitate, which made a tremendous difference in a game where the Thunder's defense on All-Star Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray was elite. Still, against one of the better defenses in the NBA, the Nuggets, Gilgeous-Alexander adapted throughout the night.
“As I go through my career and go through seasons, and games, and seeing different coverages, and different types of bodies, I just try to grow,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And the better you get at individually scoring, the more they make you pass. It's just how it goes. And I'd be doing myself a disservice if I didn't lean into that and work on those types of things. I just try to take what the defense gives me, and always have them at my mercy.”
Gilgeous-Alexander was an efficient 11-for-16 from the floor, including 1-for-2 from deep, and 11-for-13 from the free-throw line. He also finished with two blocks and one steal. The Thunder's defense held Jokic (16 points) to 6-for-9 shooting, and Murray (12 points) finished 4-for-16 from the floor.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dominates in Thunder's win
In a Western Conference semifinals rematch that went seven games in last year's playoffs against the Nuggets, Gilgeous-Alexander found a healthy balance between when to score and when to facilitate, all predicated on Denver's defensive coverages.
“Those games — they're not necessarily that serious — that high-level of basketball, teams aren't going to let you do what you want to do. Teams aren't going to let you play to your strength,” Gilgeous-Alexander added. “That's what makes good teams, good teams. And the later you go in the season, the more good teams you play, especially defensively. They make you play to your second, third, and fourth options, as a team, and as individuals.
“Then, the scouting report becomes tighter, and they become better as the series goes on because they're seeing you every night. It's not like they see you tonight. Then they don't see you for a couple of months, like they do in the regular season. Going through that experience kind of forced me to get better, and only my plan A, but my plan B, and plan C, and plan D.”
For Gilgeous-Alexander, having those secondary plans ready to execute is what makes him one of the NBA's best players.
“These types of games force you to throw your best punch, or else, you'll get embarrassed,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Teammates this good has the level of talent as the history. They just force you to bring it, or else you'll get beat—beat bad. And I think the guys did a great job all across the board, bringing it, coming ready to play.”
The Thunder will return home to host the Magic at the Paycom Center on Tuesday.
