Don t use fatigue as an excuse, Thunder Alexander: You must be patient

The leader of the NBA regular season in the 2024-25 season, the Thunder fell behind 1-2 after three first three games in the championship game. The Pacers' defensive strategy against the Thunder's No. 1 Alexander was effective. The fatigue can be seen at the end of the third game, but SGA said that there are only 4 games left at most in the season, so you must be patient and strive to win.

The first three games of the championship, the Pacers made SGA's shots and scores declined by the game. The Canadian defender made 14 of 30 shots in the first game, 38 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals; 11 of 21 shots in the second game, 34 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block; 9 of 20 shots in the third game, 24 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks, and only 2 mistakes in the first two games, the annual MVP had as many as 6 mistakes, setting a new playoff high this season.

Asked if I was tired, the 3-time All-Star guard didn't even mention this term, just saying, "You have to endure it. There are only 4 games left in the season. This is the result of your efforts for this matter all season and the result of your efforts during the rest of the summer. I think I have to endure it, complete the game, and strive for victory."

Pacers used up as many as 7 players, including the team's main defender Nembhard, to take turns to defend the SGA. According to statistics, the average number of interceptions was 65.5 feet away from the basket, which means that the Canadians will be entertained from the full half of the game. In the fourth quarter, the Pacers scored 32-18, completing the second reversal victory in the series. SGA scored 3 points in just 1 of 3 shots in the quarter.

Nembhard said: "I think we are trying to make him suffer. The most important thing is to persevere and make him uncomfortable. This is the responsibility of the team. We must unite on the defensive end to complete the task."

SGA is indifferent to the possible fatigue caused by various strict defense strategies of opponents: "I'm not sure. I don't think fatigue is the reason for the decline in performance. This is a game of physical confrontation. We have experienced many such games. Some of them performed well at the end of the game, some of them performed badly. I don't think it's unusual, and nothing is a situation I haven't encountered."

According to NBA historical records, the third game winner after the first 41 draws, and finally 33 times were able to hold the trophy high with an 80.5% championship rate. The fourth game between the two sides will be played at 8:30 am tomorrow, and the location is still at the Pacers' home court.