Full Post Game Media Availability | OKC Thunder at Denver Nuggets | NBA Playoffs | May 9, 2025

Full Post Game Media Availability | OKC Thunder at Denver Nuggets | NBA Playoffs | May 9, 2025

Gohead to Shay. Shay. In that fourth quarter seemed like, you know, neither team really had a a rhythm. A lot of, you know, isolations, that kind of thing. What’s it like playing in those types of games there late? And, uh, what are some keys for y’all if you get into those types of kind of in the mud games moving forward? Yeah. Uh um the game gets slower late game. Execution matters more. Well, like in in those moments when the game slows down, it usually comes down to your best players making shots and making plays. And I didn’t do a good enough job of that tonight. And I think that’s that’s the main reason for the outcome. Um, yeah. So, I think it’s it’s more so that than anything to be honest. You you mentioned it. You feel like you didn’t do a good enough job of that. Specifically in the fourth quarter, overtime. Well, you didn’t take a shot in overtime, but in the fourth quarter, were you sort of satisfied with your offensive process and and the team’s offensive process? Like, what did you see there? Yeah, I a few of those shots felt good. um more than a few. They didn’t go in obviously. Um but it ultimately felt like a lot of settling for jump shots. Um and jump and I always say like jump shots the consistency of jump shots always goes up and goes down. Like you make you get hot some nights, some nights you miss. Um but the most reliable thing is the paint in the rim. And I don’t think I did a good enough job again to that late game. Um, now there’s probably various reason why and uh myself and the rest of the team we’ll figure out why for for the next situation but um yeah I think uh I for sure could have been better. I know it’s not that simple but and and Dub’s buckets it felt like they came within the flow like that’s fairly normal but he was cooking before you came in and then it feels like for a while he didn’t get a shot up. Do you feel like you could have looked to him more as a team? what what did you sense as far as uh the way his shot selection changed through the fourth and in overtime? Yeah, I think I’ve been in those situations and my number was called and I took the shots and I tried to make the plays. Dub was amazing tonight. Um, sure he probably could have touched the ball a little bit more because of how he had it rolling. If I also make those shots, it’s not even a discussion. So, it’s like it’s a make or miss game. Um, but I guess the way it played out, they’ll hear the shots up. Shay, uh, over here, sorry. Um, your coach is saying before this, you guys are in the process of becoming a great team and, you know, one of one of the steps will be, you know, rising to the challenge of this. What do you need to see in game four? What do you need to do in game four to kind of get back momentum and what did you do well today? I think just close the game. Like this is three games in a row we’ve had control of the game late into the game and two of them we’ve let slip. So, I think whichever way we can find ways to close games better. Shay, it felt like um for the whole game, well, for parts of the game, they had a box on one on you and you’re used to seeing a lot of pressure, but in the fourth quarter in overtime, are there things that you can do differently? Maybe the team can do differently to get you easier, simpler shots in that in that half court. Yeah, for sure. Um, yeah, they did a good job of like zoning up, crowding me, it’s what what it’s going to come down to. And we have to fight for in those possessions. We have to fight for space and and use our pace to get better shots. Um, like I said, I got some I thought I I know I can make and they didn’t fall, but that’s not an excuse. We we myself for sure could have got better looks. Now, what the answer to it is, I’m not sure, but that’s what film’s for, and we’ll go back and look and try to be better for the next one. Shay, obviously, the matchup between Lou and Jamal has been really physical all all series. And in the locker room, Lou and Alex were both saying that they felt Jamal was a little bit more physical or aggressive just in coming off screens and getting into, you know, their body a little bit. What did you see from him tonight in terms of that aggressiveness that might have been different? And how different are they when he is that aggressive? Um, I’m not too sure. I honestly He’s a good player. Um, and when you play against good players, you want to make them uncomfortable. Now, we have great defenders. Um, but yeah, I’m not not too not too focused on that right now. But he’s a good player and when when players are comfortable, it’s not good and you have to make them uncomfortable. But we have guys in the locker room that are do that for a living and are the best in the league at it. So, we should we should be good going forward. As as you’re walking off the floor, you had a big smile. What What’s going through your mind at that moment? Some fans were taunting me. Um, and I know how the game goes. I know how life is. It’s easy to taunt and and when you’re up and I don’t ever want to show them that I’m defeated or mad or anything like that. Um, nothing’s written. The series is not over and we have a lot to be optimistic about. Uh I didn’t perform the way I did down the stretch, but I have an opportunity the next game and the next game after that to make up for it and uh I’m optimist I’m optimistic about it. You know, down the stretch, what’s kind of the balance between obviously you’ve made a ton of you you make a living making tough shots, but taking tough shots versus, you know, JDub’s got it going maybe trying to to get him uh looks. How do you kind of try to strike that balance? Yeah. When clearly you are the focus of their defensive game plan. Yeah. Um it’s honestly you like the way I see it is like you live or die by your decision. Um and tonight I die by my decision and it just comes with the game. Um, like you said, I’ve been in a position and made tough shots and got a pat on the back after a game and I’m willing to take it on the chest when I don’t make the right play or make miss the right shot or whatever it is. Um, it comes with the game, it comes with the territory. Jake, guys in the locker room were were saying that it felt like from what they remembered in the fourth and overtime that you guys as a team could have moved more and they felt like they could have freed you up more. like what does that look like to you and and why do you think that maybe stopped late? Yeah, I honestly don’t know. I don’t know. Um but I don’t I don’t I don’t think it was that. I think it was just me to be honest. Um I could have been better in those moments. I I know it’s a a make or miss game, but a lot of them should have been makes set of misses. But it’s the game of basketball. Ups and downs. You can’t, I’ve said this in the past two games, you you got to flip the script and get better for the next one. You can’t relish on the last one. No matter what it looks like, looks like a blowout or looks like a tough loss, you got to be better for the next one. That’s all that matters. Shay, after game one, you talked about being really excited to see how this team responds. You’re sort of in a similar situation now where you’re down one game. Is it any more comforting to know that this team has that in them to respond the way that you guys did in game two? Obviously, you can’t game plan for a 40-point win, but just knowing that it’s in there. Yeah, we we’ve had different tests all year, and there’s no group of guys I trust to answer um answer the call more than the guys in the locker room. Um, and I’m very excited for the challenge. It’s It’s never easy trying to accomplish what we’re trying to accomplish and we know that and we have to rise to the challenge and we have an opportunity to do so in game four. Anyone else? Thank you. It just felt like that fourth quarter in particular, there was no flow at all from anybody from either team. What’s it like to be on the floor in a game like that? You want to do media with me or no? Yeah, we go. Okay. I can still answer your question. Um, we didn’t collectively get enough stops and they’re too good of a team to not buckle down and get some. So, that was part of our issue. They’re also at home, so any run seems a lot worse than what it may be. Um, yeah. So, just go back to the drawing board, figure out ways that we can kind of buckle down and throw some different looks and just be better throughout the course of their runs. Like, we understand that, you know, they’re going to have runs same way we are. Um, I think kind of what hurt too is just like us being up and not being able to like slam the door and like kind of get some more separation. But it’s the playoffs, it happens. It’s going to test your conviction and um, you know, obviously they were a better team down the stretch to you guys have an opportunity couple days from now. Seemed like first half you had some really great scoring punch on kind of the the second side action. JDub same thing in the second half. What did you feel like you two guys did well uh in terms of attacking that could be carryovers for game four? Yeah, I mean we played aggressive. Uh you know, I feel like it was bigger than just us two though as a team. We were really trusting of each other. Uh trusting to make the right play and trusting that the next guy would do the same. And uh it led to good plays for us when we do that and pair that with aggression. So we just got to continue to do that. And uh you know, we got to be able to do that for for 48 minutes. Um not saying that I felt like we did it tonight. Uh we just got to continue to do that and then trust where that leaves us. Go ahead, sir. Sorry, Jaylen. Um, coach was talking to saying before this that you guys are in the process of becoming a great team and you’re checking a lot of boxes so far, but one of the ones that you know, you’re still learning about yourselves is how you respond after losses and he has every confidence that you will respond to be a great team. I mean, what’s the response you guys want to see in game four? Um, just as a team, we know this shit’s not easy. Um, it’s the playoffs, bro. Playing against a team that’s very good, that’s won at a high rate. Um, I think we’ve done a good job of just understanding it’s going to test our conviction. Like not everything’s all sunshine and rainbows. Like there’s going to be a lot of ups and downs through it and it’s about how you win these days in between. And I think that’s what makes a really good team. Um I mean even like give them for example they they get u like a landslide victory we have and then for them to come around and win an OT. It’s kind of how the same approach that we have to have to it and kind of carry that for the rest of the season and uh or I’m sorry rest of the series and just kind of go from there. But it’s all about how we our attitude going into these games. Go ahead. Michael Martin. Uh Dub, Mark was in here and he was really crediting your ability to get going and just sort of the flow of the offense, but he talked about late in games that it can get sort of stagnant, just sort of uh the possession game really stacking up. You only got one shot uh in the later fourth and OT. What sort of happened? Because he talked about guys limiting touches whenever guy really has it going. What what sort of limited your touches in those environments? Nothing. you have best closer in the NBA and he was getting to spots that we wanted him to get to and he was shooting the ball and I mean if I want to go like force a shot obviously I can but just we have other talented guys on the team. Uh I don’t even think I shot one shot in that I think I turned the ball over twice so I mean those are opportunities to score or create for others too. So I have my opportunities. I’m never going to sit up here and complain about touches or something like that. I have the ball a lot. Um, but yeah, I we just have we have guys out there that can score and make big plays. And I actually thought we got pretty decent shots down the stretch just didn’t make them. And more importantly, just our defense down the stretch. You know, we gave up some some tough ones down the stretch and just they were better. I’m not going to sit here and say it was like me getting one touch down the stretch. Along those lines, uh, Jaylen, uh, coach talked about, you know, you guys were able to limit these guys to what was 102 points heading into overtime. So, the defense was stern. What do you think went wrong in that overtime period that allowed them to go on that big run? I don’t want to give like a vague answer. I I probably have to watch the game again. There’s a lot of like emotion and individual reflecting that I would do before I give that answer, but on a a broad scale just stops getting back. Um, I mean, they they hit some tough ones down the stretch. I think maybe maybe some fouls that we could have avoided. maybe some offensive rebounds. I would honestly have to look and watch the like that final stretch to really give you like a really specific answer, but I think we just gota like to give a broad one. Like we just got to buckle down on the fundamentals and figure out how to score the ball too. Sure. How did you see things from from your point of view? I’d give you the same answer. I don’t uh I don’t want to say anything without going back and watching it first and seeing kind of exactly what happened, you know. when you’re out there playing, you only have one point of view. Uh, and there’s nine other guys out there moving around and, uh, you know, it’s happening quick. So, uh, I couldn’t give you an answer on exactly what happened on each play. Um, you know, but I’m going to go back and watch it and figure it out. So, do better next time. Anyone else? Thanks, guys. go for coach Dwight Gall. Mark, uh, what did you see from Denver’s defense down the stretch into the fourth quarter uh to kind of stall the offense into more isolation? Yeah, I mean, at that point in the game, it becomes uh more of a possession game, so it just naturally slows down. Uh, and you got to execute. Uh, I thought we did some good things uh on some possessions. They obviously made a couple more plays. Um, but things we can take a look at as we go into game four. Overall, were you satisfied with the the offensive process through the the fourth and overtime? Um, well, first of all, on a night where we didn’t shoot the ball great. I thought we manufactured really well, you know, like we got uh offensive rebounds, we got stuff in transition. Uh, we were able to attack the paint, attack the rim. Um, so that’s what you have to do when you’re not making a ton of jump shots. uh and we did that for much of the game in terms of uh down the stretch in overtime. We’ll take a look at it, but um it becomes an execution game at that point trying to generate the best shots you can. It’s hard for both teams obviously in that situation and credit Denver, they made a couple more plays. Know it’s not so simple, but before Shay checks in in the fourth, it feels like Dub is cooking. And then when Shay checks in, obviously he’s still trying to get a feel for the game, but he’s shooting step back threes. It feels like a few possessions straight. Did you feel like you maybe could have went to to dub a little more in that fourth quarter? I mean, we can look at it, but I mean, those guys have a great chemistry on the court together and find a nice blend. Um, we’re not going to like push the same button repeatedly. A lot of that stuff happens in the flow and that’s where as a team you got to have trust and you got to work together and, you know, we’ve made a habit of that all year. So, um, we’ll look at the possessions and the execution and all that stuff, uh, and learn from it as usual, but I didn’t think there was anything to that. First half, the offball movement on the off side of the court seemed to really get you guys some some easy looks. Second half, not so much. Was it something that they did specifically to take that away in sec? Um, I thought we attacked the zone pretty well in some possessions there in the first half. I thought some of that came against the zone. They played less zone in the second half. Um, we’ll have to look at it, but I thought generally, like I said, on a night where we didn’t shoot it great with jump shots. Uh, we manufactured a lot and gave ourselves control of the game uh late into the fourth and, you know, down the stretch, they just made a couple more plays than we did. That had it gone in the first half. And did you see anything different from the Nuggets to kind of take that away from you guys in the second half? Yeah, I mean, some of that just might have been shot making, but he played a really good game tonight. both ends of the floor, you know, continues to help us on the glass. His rim protection really helps us behind uh all their actions. Uh and offense, I like offensively I liked his aggressiveness. I like the plays he made, the shots he took. Can’t control whether or not they go in, but I thought generally he had a good floor game tonight. Coach, it felt like Jamal got some some decent separation on some of those screens just from your own viewpoint. How would you address how the physicality was in terms of, you know, Denver setting screens and you guys trying to fight over that? Yeah, I mean we did a really good job on them last game. They moved them more off ball tonight and got them running around that way to try to free him up. Um that’s what good teams do, good players do. They have solutions uh to a lot of things. And um you know they did a good job of of shaking him free on some plays, but generally I thought, you know, 102 points in regulation, I thought we did a pretty good job defensively on the game. Um you know, obviously, you know, he made some plays, but I thought we made them earn a lot of their stuff. Coach, uh, kind of pick you back off what you just said. Uh, you guys held Nicole to eight of 28 shooting and eight turnovers. What were we doing well and what you like against what you did against him? Yeah, like I said, we did a lot of good things tonight. You know, it’s it’s obviously um lousy to lose, but you can take a lot away and we want to be a team that’s improving through the series. You can’t let the outcomes of the games distract you from that process cuz um that’s what will drive the next outcome. And so um I thought we did a lot of good things. Did a lot of good things on him. It was a really hard-fought game by both teams. It wasn’t an easy game for anybody. Um, and you know, I thought we did some good things on them. At the same time, does it, you know, sting a little bit knowing that again, this is you get this version of of Nola tonight and and you, you know, you don’t come away with with the win? Um, I mean, losses always sting, especially in the playoffs, but um, you know, what I would say is like we are in the process of becoming a great team. Um, and we’ve we’ve checked a lot of boxes in that process. And um, one thing that it takes to be a great team is you get taken to the limit in the playoffs. And you’ve got to rise to the challenges that you’re confronted with. This team’s made a habit of doing that repeatedly. I have full confidence we’ll continue to do that. But, um, we have to embrace what this is. It’s the playoffs. It’s the highest highest level of basketball. It’s incredibly challenging. Uh, and this is how you become stronger as a team is you you learn from these experiences. You stand up to them. uh and you improve and that’s our challenge right now. Um sort of speaking of a question that was earlier on the same vein. Um JDub gets to 32 points with about a minute and 11 in uh in the fourth. He doesn’t get another shot until late to OT on that last like I guess desperation shot. What exactly were were they doing to sort of just close him off or did the ball just not find him? Um I mean I’ll go ahead and look at it. We the first play in overtime was for him. you know, he had the ball in his hands there and um you know, we’re certainly aware of him, but um you know, if he’s got it going, they’re obviously going to show a lot of help to him and he’s going to have to make plays uh off the ball. So, um like I said, it’s not like a button that you’re pushing. You know, a lot of his stuff tonight came in the flow. That’s how we play. Um and we’ll evaluate the possessions, but I thought the team’s intentions were good, which is the most important thing. Uh, coach, um, Aaron Gordon, just his presence and what he was able to do on both ends of the floor. What have you been seeing from him in the sense of him being a kind of a thorn to the side of what you guys are doing? And did you see anything differently in this game compared to the other two? Um, I mean, he’s he’s a really good player, first of all, you know, so I don’t think he’s punching above his weight. This is who he is. He’s been an incredible uh piece of their team for a long period of time and he’s he’s shown up uh in these games. He made some big big plays, big shots tonight, so we tip our hat to him. But um I thought generally we did a good job with this driving tonight. Um we’ll take a look at it, but you know it’s going to we got to rise to the challenge of it. They’re a really good team. They’re obviously up 2-1 in the series and our challenge is to be a better team on Sunday. You mentioned the offensive flow. Um late in games it seems like there been a little bit more stagnant offense. Would you attribute that more to what they’re doing defensively or tired legs on your guys’ end just from playing a lot of minutes? Where do you think that would I guess the root of that issue would be? Um, I just think, you know, one thing is it’s really hard to manufacture advantages late in games just because of the nature of a possession game, especially when the pace gets slowed like this. I think it was challenging for both teams. It was a grind uh in the last 6 minutes of that game for everybody. And so, um, it just comes down to who can execute, who can make the most plays. Um, they executed a little better, made a couple more plays. I think that’s what it comes down to. We’ll evaluate it. We’re always trying to get better in every area of the game, but um ultimately I think that’s what it comes down to. Off or their first offensive rebound didn’t come till 610 left in the third quarter. You win the rebound battle, win the turnover battle. Know there are no silver linings in in playoff games, but does this one sting a little less considering like those are things that you want and the things that you reasons that you may feel like you lost are things that you can easily clean up. Yeah, we want to improve through the series. You know, that’s how you have to approach a playoff series. It’s a long series and you have to improve as you go. Um, and I think we’ve done a lot of improving since, um, we started the series. And those two, you know, you’re talking about, uh, the rebounding, um, transition defense, you know, those are examples of areas where we’ve really improved. Um, like I said, tonight we didn’t make a ton of jump shots. They shot the ball well from three. I don’t know what they shot. They shot 40% from three. So on a night where um we didn’t win that battle in terms of shotmaking, we were able to manufacture ourselves into a very competitive game and that’s a credit to the way the guys executed. So you know it it sucks to lose but you can’t throw everything out the window when you do. You got to learn from um the good and the bad. Anyone else? Thank you, coach. All right. Thank you.

Hear from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Coach Mark Daigneault following the Thunder’s 104-113 loss in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals.

0:00 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
8:12 Jalen Williams & Chet Holmgren
13:51 Coach Mark Daigneault

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