The stakes of Game 4 weighed on Oklahoma City superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander all day Monday as he waited for the 8:30 tipoff with the Thunder trailing the Dallas Mavericks in their Western Conference semifinal series 2-1.
The 25-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander called it “probably the most meaningful game I’ve played in my career,” but he said he didn’t feel pressure when he checked back into the game after a brief rest with 9:30 remaining and the Mavs leading by six points. Gilgeous-Alexander was poised, prepared to seize the moment, but also conscious of not forcing the issue, as he said he had late in the Thunder’s Game 3 loss here.
“Be aggressive, but be smart,” Gilgeous-Alexander told himself.
The MVP finalist found that balance down the stretch to lead Oklahoma City to a series-tying 100-96 win at the American Airlines Center, scoring or assisting on 20 of the Thunder’s final 30 points.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 34 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals. He scored 10 points and dished out 4 assists in the fourth quarter, taking over the game with a series of midrange jumpers off isolations then feeding his teammates for the game’s biggest shots when Dallas’ defense collapsed on him.
“There’s some points in the game I’m doing the same thing you guys are doing — just kind of being a fan of what he’s doing and, when some of those shots go in, just kind of making a face like, ‘That’s crazy,'” said Thunder center Chet Holmgren, who tallied 18 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. “But he’s been doing it all year. I’ve seen him do it since I got here, and that’s just who he is. Tough-shot maker, but he does a lot more out there for us than just that.”
“He was unbelievable,” Mavs superstar Luka Doncic said. “He kept making shots, and maybe at some point we got to send double-teams. He’s just too good.”
Doncic, who is dealing with a sprained right knee and a sore left ankle, finished with more turnovers (seven) than field goals (6-of-20 shooting). Irving registered nine points for the second time in the series after being held to a single-digit scoring total only once previously in a playoff game.
