Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Faces His Toughest Test Yet in Thunder’s Game 3 Collapse
Man, Game 3 of the NBA Finals was a gut punch if you're an Oklahoma City Thunder fan. What we saw wasn’t the composed, high-IQ Thunder team we’ve watched dominate all season — it was a version of them that looked out of sync, tired, and flat-out uncomfortable. And yes, that includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league MVP, who finally looked human under the relentless pressure from Indiana.
The Pacers? They didn’t pull off anything wildly different tactically. They just brought more energy, more physicality, and a whole lot more confidence. And that was enough. Indiana dictated the pace, made OKC react, and basically took the Thunder out of their element. They ran faster, pressed harder, and executed better — especially in the second quarter where they dropped an insane 153.8 points per 100 possessions. That’s wild.
As for SGA, this was not his night. He scored 24 points, but needed 20 shots to do it. He had six turnovers and only four assists — and just three points in the fourth quarter. That’s not what we expect from the MVP. He looked exhausted, thrown off by defenders like Andrew Nembhard and Ben Sheppard constantly hounding him, and he missed reads he normally nails in his sleep. One play stuck out — Pascal Siakam left Jalen Williams wide open in the corner, but SGA didn’t see it. That’s not like him. At all.
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And to be clear, this wasn’t about one guy. Oklahoma City turned the ball over 19 times — almost a season high. They missed seven free throws. The offense stalled. The defense was late. The hustle plays — the 50/50 balls — all went to Indiana. Even the coaching had some questionable moments. Mark Daigneault didn’t adjust rotations quickly enough, and it cost them.
But here's the thing — as ugly as it looked, the Thunder were still up five entering the fourth quarter. That’s a sign of just how talented they are, even on an off night. If just a few more paint shots fall, if they cut down a couple mistakes, this game could’ve gone their way.
Game 4 will be huge. They need to rediscover their identity — play with force, get back to sharing the ball, and let SGA dictate, not react. Because if they don’t, the Pacers could run away with this thing. But if the real Thunder show up? This series is far from over.
We’ll find out soon enough.
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