The Oklahoma City Thunder “sucked” in a sloppy, lopsided game six loss to the Indiana Pacers, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said, but he is confident they have what it takes to claim the title in Game 7.
“The way I see it, we sucked tonight,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, after the Thunder’s bid to close out the Pacers ended in a 108-91 defeat in Indianapolis.
Averaging more than 30 points per game in the Finals, Gilgeous-Alexander scored just 21 to go along with four rebounds, two assists and eight of the Thunder’s 21 turnovers.
Photo: AP
“Some of them I think was carelessness, not being as focused, not being engaged,” he said of the Thunder’s uncharacteristic turnovers. “They played harder than us tonight as well. When a team plays harder, they turn the other team over.”
Gilgeous-Alexander’s eight turnovers were more than his seven baskets, but Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said the defeat was on the entire team.
“First of all, credit Indiana,” Daigneault said. “I thought they obviously earned the win. They outplayed us for most of the 48 minutes.”
“That’s the story of the game. They went out there and attacked the game,” he said.
“From our standpoint, it was uncharacteristic,” Daigneault added. “It was disappointing. It was collective. It wasn’t one guy. Just we were not where we needed to be on either end of the floor for much of the game.”
Gilgeous-Alexander said that the chance of clinching the franchise’s first title since it relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008 was “definitely in the back of our minds.
“Now, we didn’t play like it at all,” he added. “That’s why the night went the way it did. We got exactly what we deserved, what we earned. We have to own that.”
However, he did not think that he and his Thunder teammates — who ousted the Denver Nuggets with a lopsided Game 7 win in their Western Conference semi-final series — needed to find something new.
“I don’t feel like I have to do anything other than just be the best version of myself,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I think that goes for everyone else in the room. We just have to bring what we bring to the table, what we’ve brought to the table all year.”
“One game for everything you ever dreamed of,” he added. “If you win it, you get everything. If you lose it, you get nothing. It’s that simple.”
Brazil has four teams, more than any other country, in the expanded Club World Cup that kicked off yesterday in the US, but for SE Palmeiras, the competition holds a special meaning: winning it would provide some redemption. Under coach Abel Ferreira since 2020, Palmeiras lifted two Copa Libertadores titles, plus Brazilian league, cup and state championships. Even before Ferreira, it boasted another South American crown and 11 league titles. The only major trophy missing is a world champions’ title. Other Brazilian clubs like Fluminense FC and Botafogo FR, also in the tournament, have never won it either, but the problem for Palmeiras
Lionel Messi drew vast crowds and showed flashes of his brilliance when his Inter Miami side were held to a goalless draw by African giants Al-Ahly as the revamped FIFA Club World Cup got off to a festive start on Saturday. Fans showed up en masse for the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, but Messi could not fully deliver, his best chance coming through a last-second attempt that was deflected onto the crossbar. Inter Miami next face FC Porto on Thursday in Atlanta, while Al-Ahly, who benefited from raucous, massive support, are to
Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality. Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament. “There is always a joy to contribute to the
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani on Monday wobbled through a 28-pitch first inning at home against the San Diego Padres in his first appearance on the mound since August 2023. Scheduled to throw as many as two innings, Ohtani went a single frame while allowing one run on two hits. He did not issue a walk nor strike out a batter. “Not quite happy with the results overall, but the takeaway for me is that I feel good enough to be able to make the next outing,” Ohtani said of his pitching performance. Ohtani still wound up with a positive impact
RSS