It’s not trash talk. It’s not bulletin board material. But it’s definitely not your standard pre-Finals fluff, either. With Game 1 of the NBA Finals tipping off June 5, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander made a deliberate choice: full respect, no downplaying, and zero bait. When asked if the Pacers had changed much since OKC last saw them in March, SGA cut straight through the noise. “I don’t think they changed much… they were on a roll back then, and they’re on a roll now… it’s going to be tough come Thursday.”
But here’s where it gets interesting to a level where SGA might just be revealing his game strategy. Pressed on how the Thunder would handle Indiana’s high-octane guards, SGA didn’t flinch: “Defense first. It always starts there for us… you get stops, you give yourselves a chance.” That mindset isn’t just cliché. It’s a strategy, because SGA knows the Pacers won’t bend. “They’re stubborn in the way they play… they impose their will,” he said. “Now it’s just about us being able to impose our will.”
Now that looks more like a challenge than a prediction, doesn’t it? Or maybe, just maybe—a hint that the Thunder’s game plan isn’t built around names, but something a little deeper. What’s going on behind the scenes? Come back here to find out!
(This is a developing story…)
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