Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did not sound swept up in the moment after the Oklahoma City Thunder finished off the Los Angeles Lakers 115-110 in Game 4 on Monday night at crypto.com Arena. He sounded focused, calm, and already thinking about the next challenge.
“We’ve done our job so far,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That’s all it really means. We’ve gone out there, we’ve executed, we played at a high level, and we’ve been able to win eight tough games against really good opponents.”
The Thunder moved to 8-0 in the postseason and became the latest team to survive a Lakers group that kept coming despite injuries and an uphill series. Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 35 points in the closeout win, said the key was simple in the biggest moments.
“We just let the game happen,” he said. “Just make the right basketball play out there and whoever ends up with it ends up with it. I think that’s what’s most important.”
That approach showed late, when Oklahoma City solved the Lakers’ pressure and got the decisive basket from Chet Holmgren before Gilgeous-Alexander added two free throws. He said he was not hunting hero moments.
“I don’t have to shoot it. I don’t have to make the home run or hero play,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s the best basketball play for our group.”
The Thunder guard also explained how the Lakers forced him to adjust from game to game. “The first three games they were sending traps,” he said. “Last game they kind of like half sent them. Tonight they barely sent them.”
That shifting coverage, he said, is exactly why Oklahoma City keeps getting better in series. “Teams are going to adjust, throw different things at you,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You play the first game, you see what they throw at you, and then you try to read it from there.”
Gilgeous-Alexander’s calm was a theme again when he talked about handling pressure. “It just gives me the best chance to make the right decision on the next play,” he said. “Emotions only get in the way of critical and smart thinking.”
He also praised LeBron James after facing him in a playoff series, calling the 41-year-old star’s longevity remarkable. “It was fun,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He was a force. He was the top of the scouting report all series.”
When asked about the Thunder’s sweep through the first two rounds, Gilgeous-Alexander kept the focus on what comes next. “Nothing’s guaranteed,” he said. “We still haven’t reached our goal.”
He also made sure not to oversell his own scoring numbers, even after another efficient playoff performance. “Nothing much,” he said of the momentum. “Every game is so different in the playoffs.”
Gilgeous-Alexander closed by making the case that Oklahoma City’s depth is not just about him. Asked about Jared McCain, he said, “Jared is a scorer. He’s not a three-point shooter. He puts the ball in the basket anywhere on the floor.”
