EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsOKLAHOMA CITY -- After being presented his second straight NBA MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony on the Paycom Center floor, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn't perform up to that lofty standard in a thrilling Western Conference finals opener.The San Antonio Spurs' smothering defense had a lot to do with Gilgeous-Alexander's struggles during the defending champion Thunder's 122-115 double-overtime loss in Monday's epic Game 1.The Spurs threw a steady diet of double-teams at Gilgeous-Alexander. Victor Wembanyama, the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, essentially played that of goalie, sagging off spot-up shooters to patrol the paint and protect the rim.Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 24 points and 12 assists in 51 minutes, but he shot only 7-of-23 from the floor and committed four turnovers, falling far short of his efficient norms."We just got to be better -- me, in particular," said Gilgeous-Alexander, who became the 14th player in NBA history to win back-to-back MVPs. "I have to be better, especially against a team of this caliber. Nothing more than that."Thunder forward Alex Caruso took advantage of Wembanyama roaming off of him to make 8 of his 14 3-point attempts en route to scoring a career-playoff-high 31 points. But that's a sacrifice the Spurs are willing to make to prevent Gilgeous-Alexander, the first player to average at least 30 points per game in four consecutive seasons since Michael Jordan, from getting in a groove."I know what my teammates are capable of, what we're capable of as a team when we bring it," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "It's just unfortunate that I wasn't able to bring my best game tonight, but that's how it goes sometimes. Sometimes you're your best version, sometimes you're not. You've got to roll with the punches, don't get discouraged and stay true to who you are."For most of the game, the Thunder's offense felt stagnant with Gilgeous-Alexander initiating from the top of the floor, allowing the San Antonio defense to load up to stop him. He made only 3 of his first 14 field goal attempts before a late scoring flurry helped the Thunder rally from a 10-point deficit to force overtime."We're going to have to figure that out," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "They're good schematically. They obviously have a lot of tools with the point-of-attack defenders and with Wembanyama. There's a reason they are where they are, but there's a reason we are where we are, and one of the things that I love about this team is our problem solving."We've been in these series before. We've hit these types of plateaus. We gave ourselves obviously a chance to win despite that tonight with our defense and the way that we played, but we got to solve a few problems and be better in Game 2."Wembanyama blocked three shots, including a midrange stepback jumper by Gilgeous-Alexander on the baseline midway through the fourth quarter, but his box-score line hardly hints at his defensive impact. The 7-foot-4 Frenchman's presence eliminated driving lanes and intimidated the Thunder's off-dribble creators, even the two-time MVP."It's obviously challenging -- very tall, very long, deters a lot of things at the rim," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "You've got to be smart when you go in there. Be patient, but also be aggressive. Don't be too timid in there. I think you get caught worrying about it too much, and you lose aggression. That's where they really put a stranglehold on the game. You've got to be able to be aggressive but also be smart."Gilgeous-Alexander found that balance in the final 5:26 of regulation, when he scored 10 points and fed Caruso for a 3 and a layup, fueling a Thunder comeback. The flurry began when Gilgeous-Alexander drove baseline for a layup despite being double-teamed, turning the corner on Wembanyama. Gilgeous-Alexander tied the score by driving for a layup with three seconds remaining, taking advantage of Wembanyama's refusal to leave Chet Holmgren open in the corner for a potential go-ahead 3.Gilgeous-Alexander slithered through a crack in the defense for a dunk over a too-late contest by Wembanyama to give the Thunder a three-point lead with 58 seconds remaining in the first overtime. But Wembanyama answered with a deep 3, and Gilgeous-Alexander didn't have another bucket in either of the overtime periods."I just felt like it was what the game needed -- to try to be aggressive, touch the paint, make plays," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Didn't make enough of them tonight personally, but I think that's what the game needed."
