Gilgeous-Alexander explains – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander revealed what the Oklahoma City Thunder said in their huddle after the San Antonio Spurs opened Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals with a 15-0 run. Oklahoma City fought back to win, taking a 2-1 series lead, and will host Game 4 on
The start felt like it belonged to the Spurs—until it didn’t. In Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference Finals on Friday, San Antonio jumped out with a 15-0 run before the Oklahoma City Thunder finally found their footing.
After the drought ended, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spoke about what his team needed to do in that moment, saying, “We just got to go out there and compete. They are on their home floor, back in their house, their regular routine…..we just got to compete.”
The context mattered: San Antonio was on its own court, working from a comfortable routine, while Oklahoma City was trying to recover after splitting the first two games at home. The Thunder, after all, were playing on the road in Game 3.
Oklahoma City didn’t just erase the deficit—it turned it into a win. The Thunder took control of the series, now leading 2-1.
Gilgeous-Alexander added that the Thunder didn’t view the early hole as something outside their identity. “We have a really good basketball team. 1-15 can really play at the highest level. … No surprise for us, we know what we’re capable,” he said.
Once the rhythm returned, it wasn’t chaos that pushed the comeback. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault described it as tightening the defensive posture, then settling into the halfcourt. Per the Associated Press, Daigneault said, “Other than the first 15 points, our defense was really tight. We got back, settled down into the halfcourt. Our offense had something to do with that. We ran good offense tonight, despite the fact that they were amped up and ready to go, the Spurs were. It’s a discipline series. We did that. We couldn’t be reckless against them, they are too good with the ball, too well coached, too talented. So you’ve got to be able to do it with discipline. I thought we really were disciplined tonight.”.
That discipline showed up on the stat line through Gilgeous-Alexander’s performance. He scored 26 points in Game 3 and went a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line.
The Spurs and Thunder are back at it for Game 4 on Sunday night in San Antonio, with Oklahoma City carrying the 2-1 series lead after Friday’s hard-fought turnaround.
NBA Western Conference Finals Oklahoma City Thunder San Antonio Spurs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Mark Daigneault Game 3 15-0 start series lead 2-1 Game 4