Mussatto: Heartbreak as OKC Thunder season ends, but this is just the start of new era
DALLAS — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander buried his face in his jersey. Chet Holmgren clasped his hands on his head. Jalen Williams, after his desperation heave drifted wayward, bent over, hands on knees.
The game was epic, making the Thunder’s 117-116 defeat in Game 6 all the more agonizing.
Dallas advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Oklahoma City is headed home.
An electric fourth-quarter filled with spectacular shotmaking and would-be game-defining plays was decided by a whistle. A correct whistle, but a whistle nonetheless.
Gilgeous-Alexander, tremendous all night, fouled his old college buddy, P.J. Washington, on a 3-pointer with three seconds left.
Mayhem preceded the call.
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With the clock ticking and the Mavericks trailing by one, Luka Doncic lost the ball as he was double-teamed by Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort. Doncic recovered the rock and dished it to Washington, who sent SGA flying with a shot fake. Washington double clutched, baiting SGA into making contact.
Washington was nails at the line, making the first two foul shots and intentionally missing the third. Chet Holmgren rebounded the miss and passed to Jalen Williams, who missed everything on the 64-foot Hail Mary at the buzzer.
“I shouldn’t have fouled him,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
He chuckled, because what else could he do?
It was a cruel ending to SGA’s spectacular night. Spectacular series. Spectacular season.
“We talk about it all year, the little things that go into winning games. And being disciplined. It sucks,” SGA said. “Obviously if I had the moment back I wouldn’t have fouled him and just let him make or miss the shot.”
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SGA was asked if he saw the replay of the foul.
“I can’t look at it,” he said. “But (the officials) looked at it, and I assume I fouled him if they looked at it and still didn’t overturn it.”
Crew chief Tony Brothers explained the call in a pool report.
“During the review we saw that Shai initially starts on the ball, but then he slides off of it and clearly makes illegal contact with Washington’s arm while he still has control of the ball and is in the act of shooting.”
Had SGA dislodged the ball, Brothers said the contact would’ve been deemed marginal.
But it was a foul, and Gilgeous-Alexander owned it.
How many players, much less star players, would’ve so calmly accepted the truth?
Especially when the foul spoiled not only an iconic individual game, but a Thunder win that would’ve sent the series back to Oklahoma City for a Game 7 on Monday.
Gilgeous-Alexander hid his head in his jersey as he walked off the court, but it didn’t conceal his pain.
“It sucked,” he said. “The way it ended, it kinda solely being my fault with the three, it sucks. My teammates did so much throughout the night to get us in the position we were, but that last possession and little details…”
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The foul will overshadow Gilgeous-Alexander’s alley-oop to Holmgren, which gave the Thunder the lead with 20 seconds left. SGA’s ice cold step-back 3-pointer to cut Dallas’ lead to two points with 1:05 left will all but be forgotten.
Gilgeous-Alexander was sensational before his final sin. He scored 36 points on 56% shooting. He had eight assists against zero turnovers. He had two blocks.
“He’s a big-time player who hasn’t gotten to prove that on this stage yet,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said, “and I thought that was loud and clear over the course of the postseason.”
SGA played 42 minutes and 42 seconds Saturday — a playoff career high.
Of course the Thunder’s loss wasn’t solely his fault, but Gilgeous-Alexander’s graceful disposition after the game was just the latest reminder that the Thunder has itself a keeper.
“I don’t know if words do that justice,” Holmgren said when asked about SGA’s impact. “I feel like everyone’s seen what he did not only in this series, this game, but throughout the whole season.
“The significance of one play is put under a microscope because it decided the game, but without him we’re not even up one with 12 seconds left. I’m looking at myself, all the plays down the stretch where I was either a half second late or didn’t make this play or didn’t do that … I put that one on me.”
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It’s a shame that such a game ended with free throws.
It looked as if the Thunder’s fortunes would turn in Game 6. Some by luck, some by grit.
Gilgeous-Alexander was great. Jalen Williams had his best game of the series. The Thunder finally won a first quarter and got a normal amount of 3-pointers (37%) to fall.
OKC was the aggressor before going on the defense, warding off repeated Mavericks’ runs.
The Thunder built a 16-point halftime lead, aided by a 16-point advantage in points off turnovers. But the Mavericks didn’t back down.
Doncic and Kyrie Irving were relentless. Derrick Jones Jr. was heroic. Dereck Lively II? Props to the rookie for stonewalling the Thunder all series.
One of the most remarkable seasons in OKC’s brief history is over. The young Thunder won 57 games en route to the No. 1 seed. The Thunder swept the Pelicans in Round 1 before falling in six to the Mavericks in the West semifinals.
There will be time to look ahead, to consider the heights this team could reach, but Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t let his mind stray from Saturday night.
“Moments and games like tonight,” SGA said, “it doesn’t get much better.”
Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
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Thunder vs Mavericks playoff series schedule
Game 1: OKC 117, Dallas 95
Game 2: Dallas 119, OKC 110
Game 3: Dallas 105, OKC 101
Game 4: OKC 100, Dallas 96
Game 5: Dallas 104, OKC 92
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder lose to Mavs but can expect deep NBA playoff runs soon
