Shai Gilgeous-Alexander repeated as NBA Most Valuable Player and is the consensus best player in the sport with only three-time MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets able to make a reasonable case.<\/p>\n
But the Oklahoma City star described the 2025-26 season as a failure on Sunday, one day after the Thunder lost to \u200bthe San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals to end their chance at winning \u200cconsecutive NBA titles. The Spurs advance to play the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals while Gilgeous-Alexander begins his offseason earlier than expected.<\/p>\n
\u201cI failed at my goal,\u201d Gilgeous-Alexander said during his exit-day press conference. \u201cI didn\u2019t achieve what I wanted to achieve. But I learn the most about myself and make the greatest amount of increases in my career when I fail and don\u2019t get what I want. I look at this no different. I \u200cdidn\u2019t get \u200bwhere I wanted to go this season. There\u2019s a reason for that. Now \u2060I have to look at that reason \u2060and try to make sure it never happens again.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Thunder looked like a good bet to return to the NBA Finals for most of the season.<\/p>\n
Oklahoma City started off 24-1 and also put together a late-season 19-1 spurt toward the end of the 64-18 campaign. The Thunder then won eight straight games to start the postseason before running into troubles \u200bagainst the Spurs.<\/p>\n
Still, Oklahoma City held a 3-2 series lead before being smoked 118-91 in San Antonio in Game 6. The Spurs also outplayed the host Thunder in Game 7, prevailing 111-103.<\/p>\n
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 25.9 points in the series, including three games \u2060of 30 or more, but shot just 40.9% from the field, well \u2060off his stellar 55.3 rate in the regular season. He averaged 31.1 points during the regular \u200bseason.<\/p>\n
Gilgeous-Alexander shot less than 37% four times during a series in which Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was a constant obstacle.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a guy \u200bon their back line that is a little bit different,\u201d Gilgeous-Alexander said of Wembanyama. \u201cThey funnel everything to \u200chim. \u2026 It\u2019s a really good defense. But it\u2019s not impossible to score. I just think it\u2019s very different.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Thunder were hurt by not having fellow star Jalen Williams for Game 7 due to a left hamstring injury. He played in just three games in the series and five in the postseason due to the injury.<\/p>\n
Williams feels that series would have gone differently if he had \u2060been healthy.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously I think I could have made an impact,\u201d Williams said. \u201cI think we could have won if I played. Went to seven with them without me playing. I don\u2019t think I make us worse. That\u2019s really my answer to that. But it\u2019s \u2060also hats off to them. What do you \u200cwant them to do about me being hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ajay Mitchell, who filled in well for Williams, \u2060missed the final four games after sustaining a right calf strain. His absence also hurt \u200bbadly.<\/p>\n
One player \u200cgetting heat over the Oklahoma City collapse is big man Chet Holmgren, who was badly \u200boutplayed by the \u20607-foot-4 Wembanyama. He averaged just 10.7 points in the series and was virtually non-existent in Game 7 with four points on 1-of-2 shooting and four rebounds in 33 minutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like part of it was being kind of closed out heavy,\u201d Holmgren said. \u201cThen also kind of just being a little bit out of rhythm sometimes. I feel like there were definitely opportunities to get more attempts up that I didn\u2019t in the moment. That\u2019s an area to improve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wembanyama averaged 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in the \u200bseries for San Antonio.<\/p>\n
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