Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Says OKC Were 'Desperate'; Going Down 0-2 Was 'Not An Option' Against Nuggets

The OKC Thunder came out swinging in Game 2 of their series against the Denver Nuggets. The Thunder ended up winning by 43 points as they destroyed the Nuggets 149-106. The Thunder took a 20-point lead early in the first quarter. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, had 8 rebounds, and 4 assists to lead his team on the offensive end of the floor. Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic struggled as compared to his usual standards and had only 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, while shooting 37.5& from the floor (6 of 16 FGA).

After the game, Gilgeous-Alexander spoke to Stephanie Ready courtside and reflected on what fueled the Thunder's emphatic win in Game 2. 

“We came out here desperate. We knew what it would look like going down 0-2 on the road. That wasn't really an option for us, we knew that waking up this morning. And we did the necessary things to get a W", he said.

While deliberating the next steps for the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander further added, "Now it’s just about watching it and getting ready for the next one. It’s a really good basketball team over there, and every game is going to look different. We've got to be ready.”

Going on the road for Games 3 and 4, the Thunder have a lot of preparation to do. Denver is one of the toughest destinations to play on the road. With their high altitude, the familiarity for the Nuggets players tends to give them the upper hand in that arena. The Nuggets had a 26-15 record at home this season. However, the Thunder had the best home record in the Western Conference this season (36-6), and they still lost to the Nuggets in Game 1. Therefore, the Nuggets also need to not take this lightly at home.

While addressing how the Thunder will prepare for going on the road after the 43-point win, Gilgeous-Alexander said, “Worry about the little things, things that got us the W tonight. No matter what arena you’re in, the game of basketball is the same. It takes the same intangibles to get a W, and that’s what we focus on. We did so tonight, and we didn’t do such a great job of it in Game 1; that’s why we lost. We got to do the same thing in Game 3 and Game 4 if we want to get the W.”

What Happened In Game 2 Of The Nuggets-Thunder Series?

At the end of the first quarter, the Nuggets were down by 24 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 13 points in the quarter as the Thunder took a 45-21 lead at the end of the first quarter. From that point, the Nuggets had a mountain to climb. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr, and Aaron Gordon all struggled to put up points on an incredibly inefficient night for the team.

Russell Westbrook led all scorers with 19 points after going to the free-throw line 10 times in the game. Porter Jr, Gordon, and Christian Braun all shot below 25% from the field as the Nuggets struggled to generate offense from anywhere on the floor. If the Nuggets want to take advantage of their home court, these players will need to step up in Games 3 and 4 of this series.