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OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder coughed up a 14-point fourth-quarter lead against the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series. In the bonus ahead by three, Daigneault ordered his guys to foul the Nuggets to avoid intentionally giving up a three-pointer. That kept his team ahead until Chet Holmgren missed a pair of free throws and Aaron Gordon connected on a trey with 3.2 seconds left.
The Nuggets beat the Thunder 121-119, grabbing a 1-0 lead at the Paycom Center. After the loss, Gilgeous-Alexander says he's moved on from what happened in Game 1 and is eager for Game 2 on Wednesday.
“Should be good. Should be fun. We're gonna find out what we're really made of, and we couldn't expect it to be smooth-sailing, this whole journey,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “No journey in life is. We all know that. And today's a bump in the road, unexpected. No one expects to lose, especially that way. But it's the game of life. So, it's about how you respond to getting knocked down, and that's what we gotta do next game.”
Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic dominated throughout the second half, scoring 26 of his 42 points in the second, including 10-of-13 from the free-throw line, 22 rebounds, six assists, and a pair of blocks. Gordon finished with 22 points, including the game-winning three, and 14 rebounds, and Jamal Murray added 21 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
Before Daigneault called for his team to intentionally foul the Nuggets in the final 12.2 seconds of the game, Denver was already heating up from the charity stripe, connecting on 13-of-16 free throws in the final 6:08. Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, and Gordon all made their free throws off of intentional fouls before Holmgren missed a pair, which opened the opportunity for Gordon to turn a one-point deficit to a two-point victory.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Thunder's morale after Game 1 loss
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The Nuggets' 121-119 win stunned Thunder fans in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals series. After the loss, All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander revealed the mood in the Thunder's locker room.
“It sucked the first couple of minutes. But after that, back to ourselves,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We didn't expect our whole run to be sunshine and rainbows, and we know that. It's about how we respond. There's nothing we can do about what just happened. There's no point in having our heads down or being sad about it. All we can do is be better for the next game, and that's what we're focused on.”
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder will host the Nuggets in Game 2 on Wednesday.
