Charles Barkley says Thunder 'got lucky' with off nights from Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander willed OKC to a 100-96 road win over Dallas in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday.
Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC as it overcame a 14-point deficit to tie the best-of-seven series at 2-2. The MVP runner-up scored a game-high 34 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter.
That didn't go unnoticed by Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, who praised Gilgeous-Alexander during the TNT postgame show.
"Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) put that team on his back," Barkley said. "This was all about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He was like, 'You know what, guys? Let me take over.'"
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OKC showed poise on the road despite being the youngest No. 1 seed in NBA history for either conference.
Still, Barkley pointed to a quiet performance by Dallas' star duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as one reason why OKC escaped with the victory. Doncic and Irving combined for just 27 points on 32.3% shooting from the floor (18.2% from deep).
Barkley also asked for more out of Gilgeous-Alexander's supporting cast. Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren combined for 32 points on 39.3% shooting from the floor (25% from deep).
"They got lucky tonight because (Doncic and Irving) didn't play well," Barkley said of OKC. "At some point, it's got to be more than Shai. He needs some help, man."
OKC will return home for Game 5 at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday (TNT).
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Charles Barkley says Thunder 'got lucky' in Game 4 win vs Mavericks
