{"id":2176,"date":"2026-05-31T05:05:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T05:05:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=2176"},"modified":"2026-05-31T05:05:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T05:05:31","slug":"gilgeous-alexander-tips-his-cap-after-thunder-fall-to-spurs-in-game-7-to-end-their-title-reign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=2176","title":{"rendered":"Gilgeous-Alexander tips his cap after Thunder fall to Spurs in Game 7 to end their title reign"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/figure>\n\n
San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson, center, talks with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) as Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault looks on during the second half of Game 7 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs series Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo\/Tony Gutierrez)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

OKLAHOMA CITY \u2014 When the season ended, and when his team\u2019s reign as NBA champions ended along with it, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tipped his cap.<\/p>

Read more Wembanyama wins West finals MVP, and looks ahead to NBA Finals matchup<\/a><\/p>\n

The Oklahoma City guard \u2014 the back-to-back NBA Most Valuable Player<\/a> \u2014 was great in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals<\/a> . The San Antonio Spurs were greater. And that meant there won\u2019t be a repeat champion in the NBA this year.<\/p>\n

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points and was his normal brilliant self with an array of mid-range scores, paint attacks, even stepbacks over San Antonio\u2019s 7-foot-4 wall named Victor Wembanyama<\/a> . It wasn\u2019t enough and Gilgeous-Alexander made no excuses.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo many things go into it,\u201d Gilgeous-Alexander said when asked about the difficulty of winning a championship \u2014 and trying to go back-to-back. \u201cSometimes it\u2019s like things you can\u2019t control, sometimes it\u2019s things you can control. Yeah, it\u2019s a hard task to do one time, so to do it twice will only make it even more challenging.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Thunder played all season to have home-court advantage in Game 7 and got it by two games, winning 64 to San Antonio\u2019s 62. But the Spurs beat the Thunder four out of five in the regular season, then got four more out of seven in the West finals. And Oklahoma City, to be fair, was not at its best \u2014 with Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell out with injuries.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot to make any excuses, but they\u2019re a really good team over there,\u201d Gilgeous-Alexander said. \u201cAnd losing Ajay and Dub the way we did in the midst of a series, you would think it would be a lot harder for us.\u201d<\/p>

Read more Dennis Hull, who starred for the Blackhawks and helped Canada win the \u201972 Summit Series, dies at 81<\/a><\/p>\n

Oklahoma City looks like a team that is built to contend for years. So, too, do the Spurs. A rivalry seems very much born.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, they\u2019re young, they\u2019re talented, well-coached,\u201d Gilgeous-Alexander said. \u201cPlay the right way, play together, seems like they like each other. They have the makeup, for sure. You don\u2019t beat us without the makeup and they beat us. They have the makeup to go get one.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Thunder will have some roster decisions to make and have multiple first-round picks to either use to add talent \u2014 or perhaps combine in a trade if they want to move up for a chance to draft a specific person.<\/p>\n

Those decisions aren\u2019t for Gilgeous-Alexander to make. Canada is hoping he\u2019ll play a little bit of World Cup qualifying this summer \u2014 basketball\u2019s next World Cup is in 2027 \u2014 and he\u2019ll be looking to add to his game, as elite players always do.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just have to take it one day at a time from here on out,\u201d Gilgeous-Alexander said. \u201cTry to get better this summer, be a better team than we were this season \u2014 and try to get back over the hump.\u201d<\/p>

Read more Christian Scott earns his first win, Hayden Senger hits first homer as Mets beat Marlins 6-1<\/a><\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP NBA: https:\/\/apnews.com\/nba<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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