OKLAHOMA CITY — After Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault recommended the Denver Nuggets‘ protection on All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Monday’s 140-127 loss, the MVP candidate sang a special tune. Throughout Gilgeous-Alexander’s media availability, he revealed he’d seen an analogous protection when the Thunder confronted the Minnesota Timberwolves, whereas including that the Nuggets capturing at a 60% clip made the largest distinction.
Gilgeous-Alexander says the Nuggets’ protection on him wasn’t all that completely different from what he had skilled within the Thunder’s 131-128 additional time loss to the Timberwolves final month.
“Minnesota did the identical factor after we blew the lead. I really feel like I’ve seen it earlier than,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “It felt just like that. It did not really feel too completely different. Now, in each situations, we did not deal with it nice. However we’ll go to the drafting board and attempt to be higher.”
Gilgeous-Alexander reminded reporters it isn’t simple to win a sport when a staff provides up 140 factors.
“Their entire offense simply appeared in a greater rhythm,” Gilgeous-Alexander added. “It seems like we have been much less disruptive. They acquired to their spots. They simply appeared comfy, and once you give good gamers consolation, they’ve nights like this.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, who leads the league in scoring with 32.7 factors per sport, tallied 25 factors on 8-of-14 capturing, together with 3-for-7 from deep and an ideal 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Effectively wanting his regular-season common. He additionally completed with seven assists, three rebounds, two blocks, and one steal.
Nonetheless, the Nuggets’ explosive offense yielded 60.5% capturing, together with 56.3% from behind the three-point arc. The league’s reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic, completed with 35 factors, 18 rebounds, eight assists, one block, and one steal within the win towards final yr’s runner-up in SGA.
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Mark Daigneault on Nuggets’ protection on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
After the Thunder misplaced All-Star Jalen Williams to harm, the Nuggets targeted their power on limiting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
For Daigneault, it was a type of defensive protection he’d by no means fairly seen on his All-Star guard.
“They’d a very good scheme there,” Daigneault stated. “They threw us off rhythm to a level. We scored sufficient within the sport to win. I do need to be aware that. With the protection, it isn’t like typical denials that you simply usually get out of man-to-man, such as you see towards Houston or New Orleans. It was slightly completely different. They’re like zoning, trapping him when he is acquired the ball, denying him when he would not. It was specialize for him.”
The Thunder will start a three-game street journey towards the Celtics on Wednesday.