Sun May 11 21:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Thunder’s Gilgeous-Alexander Falters in Game 3 Loss to Nuggets

**DENVER, CO** – The Oklahoma City Thunder suffered a 113-104 loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series, largely due to a cold fourth quarter from star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA). SGA missed seven crucial shots in the final period, hindering the Thunder’s comeback attempt.

Despite creating advantageous matchups against Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, SGA struggled against Denver’s tenacious defense, particularly Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon, who effectively stifled his drives and contested his pull-up three-point attempts. In over eight minutes of direct matchup, Braun limited SGA to 4-of-12 shooting.

Coach Mark Daigneault attributed the offensive struggles not to sophisticated Nuggets defensive schemes, but rather to SGA’s selection of difficult shots. The team’s spacing issues, especially in overtime, further hampered their offensive flow. The Thunder’s inability to generate easy looks for SGA and the team’s poor three-point shooting (26.5% in regulation, only one attempt in overtime) contributed significantly to their defeat.

While acknowledging his poor performance, SGA accepted responsibility for the missed opportunities. Coach Daigneault expressed confidence in his star player, emphasizing his resilience and self-awareness. The Thunder will look to improve their offensive execution and spacing in Game 4 to avoid falling further behind in the series.

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