Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on BIG GAME 2 WIN vs Nuggets, Full Postgame Interview

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on BIG GAME 2 WIN vs Nuggets, Full Postgame Interview

Shay, what’s the feeling out there? Uh, just from a concentration, urgency, focus standpoint, it just seemed like every possession, uh, you guys were extremely locked in. Yeah, we we we knew what was at stake tonight. Um, we uh we came out desperate. We wanted to just take care and control the things that we knew we could, and we did a pretty good job of that. specifically to start the game and that uh that start carried us through the the rest of the night. Mark was saying, you know, the game plan was essentially the same, just you guys did it for a full 48 minutes at an even higher level. Um what’s that like for you guys to be able to amp it up and, you know, execute the way that you did? Yeah, it it’s it’s it’s good. It’s a good feeling. Um good for our confidence. But like with in the series, especially this late in the season, every game’s going to look different. We know that every team’s going to make an adjustment. They’re going to throw a curveball. Like we can’t um just like we couldn’t relish on the loss, we can’t relish on the win. We got to move forward, take the good things from the from tonight and and scratch the bad things and and be a better team come the next game. I mean, that’s what we’re focused on. Sh, you talked last game about being interested in and seeing this team’s response. Um, obviously like early the the punches there early, you guys like Jay Wills getting into a skirmish with with Russ, did you sense last game in the road that that you got punked, so to speak, and and um how do you feel like you responded to the physicality and just everything this game? Yeah, I don’t think we got punked at all. Um, we pretty much had control of the the whole game last game. Just didn’t execute down the stretch. But, uh, just as as a group, X’s and O’s, intangibles, game plan, we we clearly threw the first punch tonight, the first hit, and uh, that’s why we got to the start. We did. It’s just about trying to trying to replicate that and adjust as they adjust and and be a better team come game three. And then did you see anything change or what what did you see differently about the positions you sort of were able to put Jokic in as a as a team compared to last game? Uh like I think like coach said we just exe executed the game plan at a higher level. Did it with more urgency, physicality, assertiveness. Um and it worked in our favor. Before the playoffs, you talked about how you didn’t feel like the playoffs were pressure situations for you and you just mentioned how you guys came into this this game desperate. But when you don’t feel like this is a pressure situation, how do you also as a leader of this team get your teammates not to feel like this is a pressure situation? Um [Music] um I think like like we all want to win really badly and that’s like the goal we set out for when you pick up a basketball when you’re a kid and you start the season at whatever level you’re But like at the end of the day, it’s still just a game. It’s still is a game that we all started just having fun with and has taken us across the world. And I I I try to remind myself that and remind the team that that like no matter what happens, like go out there, have fun, and give it your all and see where it takes you. And then from there, the chips fall where they are. And we we did that tonight. We came out, we played free, we played aggressive, and the chips fell in our favor. Um, but yeah, and we’re also at our best when we play free and play confident. So, uh, trying to get back to that as much as possible is definitely uh, top of our list. Yeah, Shay, you told us after the first couple games against Memphis that you felt great even if your shot was off. How much better do you feel now after the start you’ve gotten off in this series? And, and how do you explain it? Uh, I feel the exact same. I feel like I’m getting to where I want to go. Like I said, I think I I answered that question with I don’t I don’t worry about makes and misses. Uh it’s all about like the process for me. I try to put myself and my teammates in the best position I can. Every position down offensively and defensively. And wherever wherever that takes me, wherever that takes our team, I’m I’m I’m happy with as long as I, you know, make the right decisions night in night out, play in and play out. Um, that’s that’s mostly what I’m focused on in the main semester. So, I I feel just as confident as I did those two games when I couldn’t make anything. Shay, one of the first things you said when you came in here the other night is it’d be fun to kind of find out what this team’s really made of. What What did you learn about yourself, this team tonight, or or what did you guys prove tonight? Yeah, I I didn’t learn anything new. I think we we were who we who we can be tonight. We played to our identity. We were focused. We were confident. Uh we executed the game plan. And I like when we when we do that and we check all those boxes, it it looks like it did tonight. And I think we just got to our identity and didn’t veer from it for the full game like coach said. Then you personally kind of seize control of the game right from the start. You know, 13 points, five assists first quarter. Did you feel was it a priority for you to kind of seize control individually or was that just what what what happened in the flow of the game? Yeah, I I definitely I I definitely wanted to put an input on the game from from the get without trying to force anything. Um and ultimately still just let the game tell me what to do. The game’s going to test me every possession down. they’re going to throw a coverage at me and I have to make the the right decision, make the right answer and uh I think I did a pretty good job in the first quarter. That’s that’s basically what I was focused on in the first quarter. Just trying to do that every every time down the floor and uh let my teammates make the plays from there. Um yeah, Shay, I wanted to ask you about Russell Westbrook. Uh two different things. The first thing is I wanted to ask you about what you thought about the way the crowd responded to him in game one and then the difference between game one and game two and how that energy might have impacted things. Uh how did they respond in game like with the the elevation? The ovation game one they moved him pretty loudly. Um the elevation is beautiful. uh the things he’s done for this city, this organization, like he deserves it no matter what. Um and what he’s done for the game period has has been special and that doesn’t just because he’s on the other team doesn’t change anything. Um now the booze tonight, I don’t I mean our our crowd, they they they got it, you know what I mean? they do what they want when they want. They always have our back. Um, and that’s all that matters to to to to me and to our team. As long as they always have our back will be great. Um, but they can share for us and have our back, I guess, is what you’re what you’re asking. Shay, uh, earlier tonight, Celtics lost to go down 20. Cavs are down 2. Uh, I know you’re following all this. Like, did that was that on your mind at all? just being another top seed and and not falling into that early hole. Um yeah, I mean yeah like like for me even throughout like the regular season I try to like always if we lose a game I try to like not turn it into a streak and that’s how I go about the season. um like if we lose one I try to like have an emp emphasis on the next game to try to not lose two in a row and and then in the playoffs obviously even harder to win on the road and losing two at home puts you in a worse spot. Um you completely lose homecourt advantage. Um but but yeah, like it’s definitely on your mind no matter what. But um regardless of what has happened, you have to like worry about what you can control going forward. And um I think last year Denver lost two at home, Minnesota lost two at home in their series, and then it ended up going to seven. And it was crazy. Like it at the end of the day, like you never know what the series is going to look like. You just have to worry about the next game and be better for the next game. And wherever it takes you, it takes you. Shay, you’ve said countless time how much the guys beside you are really a team as a leader. I wanted to ask you, excuse me, specifically about D. Jones and what it’s like as a leader on this team to see a young guy kind of continue to grow early in his career. Yeah. Um, Dylan’s been great. Obviously playing a lesser role than he’s used to playing in his basketball career. It’s tough for any kid that that’s talented like that to come in and practically not play. But he’s had great spirits. Um, and I think it’s only a matter of time the world really sees what kind of basketball player he is. He’s super smart, can really pass, um, knows the game, works hard, and when you like when you have those things, things work out for you in in this league. Um, and I have full faith and trust that that things will work out for him, and I’m excited to see his growth going forward. Marshall Martin Shay, when the team signed Isaiah Harden sign in the offseason, a lot of people were immediately looking just towards the playoffs of like where his impact would be felt. I know it’s only six games in, but where have you seen his impact I guess most felt uh just throughout I guess this regular uh this postseason run? Um his passing ability, his rebounding, his playm, his communication, his camaraderie, his leadership. Uh, I think like I Isaiah is at the end of the day like just a really good basketball player and I think like whatever situation you throw him in, he’s going to flourish because of that. He does the right things. He has the right intentions and he’s just really good at basketball. I think that’s why you Mitchell Robson got hurt. He came into the lineup, had a bunch of success in the playoffs, comes here, has a bunch of success right away, had success in the G- League. like wherever he is, he’s going to make it work because of the character he is and the basketball player he is. And it’s no coincidence we made the jump we made from last year adding him and as well as Caruso. Those guys are uh big- time playmakers on both ends of the floor and in the locker room. You know, last question, Shay, I realize it’s one and one. That’s the bottom line. But the way you won tonight in dominant fashion, does does it feel better than than it it would have felt uh if you just win by 10 or 12? Does it mean more to you? No. I think it’s important to take the emotion out of it. Um like winning by 100 or winning by two is still 1-1. And I think that’s very important. Like I said, every especially in a series, like every game’s going to look different. Teams are going to make adjustments. It’s going to be a different crowd, a different feel. You’re going to start hot, you’re going to start cold. Like everything’s going to look different. And it’s important to turn the page, I think. So, regardless, it’s 1-1. Well, SGA says it’s 1-1. The Nuggets have

Denver Nuggets vs Oklahoma City Thunder – Full Game 2 Highlights | May 7, 2025 | 2025 NBA Playoffs

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