Shai Gilgeous-Alexander explains his reaction after Thunder's Game 3 loss to Nuggets

The Oklahoma City Thunder lost Game 3 to the Denver Nuggets in a surprising twist. Denver responded well after dropping the first two games. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled to make an impact and could not find his usual rhythm. After the game, cameras caught him laughing as he left the court, which upset many fans. Because of the backlash, Shai later addressed the moment and explained the real reason behind his reaction.

“Some fans were taunting me… It’s easy to taunt when you’re up,” explained Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His performance was far from brilliant and for this reason his reaction was not appreciated by the fans. Unlike the first two games, he did not manage to surpass 18 points against the Denver Nuggets. However, he did manage to perform at a collective level contributing 13 rebounds and 7 assists being only 3 points away from a triple-double.

Although Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was not at his best in the last game, he still has time to respond. There are at least two more NBA games left in the series, and he can silence his critics. In the first two games, he scored 33 and 34 points, which proves what he is capable of. Likewise, Nikola Jokic did not deliver a brilliant performance either, which adds pressure on both stars. Shai made that clear: “The series is not over. And we have a lot to be optimistic about.”

Besides, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also addressed why he struggled to score in overtime against the Nuggets: “The game gets slower late game…Execution matters more. But in those moments when the game slows down, it usually comes down to your best players making shots and making plays.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder brings the ball up court during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers Paycom Center on March 29, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Rather than making excuses for his inconsistent performance, Gilgeous-Alexander took accountability. ”I didn’t do a good enough job of that tonight. And I think that’s the main reason for the outcome,“ affirmed Shai.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled to make an impact in Game 3, and much of that was due to the Denver Nuggets‘ defensive adjustments under interim head coach David Adelman. Speaking at the postgame press conference, Adelman highlighted the team’s strategy in limiting the Thunder star’s effectiveness.

“We did a good job of showing different looks late in his dribble moves. I thought this was our best game of the three of taking the impact of his forearm. He (Shai) creates a lot of space that way. There were a couple of times late in the game, and I thought CB (Christian Braun) took it the right way and got a good contest,” stated David Adelman on press conference.

However, Adelman emphasized that he sees him as a high-level player. He also added that he expects a great Game 4 from him. For that reason, he did not aim to criticize his performance. Instead, he wanted to highlight the strong work done by the defense. The Nuggets now have a great chance to take a 3-1 lead in the series. That would make it much harder for the Thunder to stay alive.