Gilgeous-Alexander Seeks Bounce-Back as Thunder Gear Up for Game 7
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Gilgeous-Alexander’s Shooting Drought
Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has struggled through the Western Conference finals, hitting just 37% of his open looks against San Antonio after converting 55% of those shots during the regular season. “A lot of the shots that I’m shooting, I’ve shot plenty of times before, and they feel good. They’re just not going in,” the two-time reigning MVP said.
The 27-year-old appeared exhausted following Thursday’s Game 6 loss in San Antonio but insisted he will stick with his routine heading into Saturday’s winner-take-all matchup at Paycom Center. “It’s too late to abandon my work, my game and who I am this late in the season,” he said. “I’ve got to trust it and live or die by it.”
Caruso Finds His Range
Veteran guard Alex Caruso has provided a scoring lift, averaging 15.3 points while shooting 55.6% from three-point range through six games. During the regular season, the 32-year-old posted 6.2 points per game on a career-low 29.3% from beyond the arc. “Looking around the locker room, there’s no doubt in my mind that the guys are ready to go to war for each other,” Caruso said.
Series Has Been One-Sided Outside Game 1
With the exception of the double-overtime opener, the other five contests in the series have been decided by an average of 17 points. Gilgeous-Alexander dismissed the notion that home court guarantees an edge. “It being in your building is nice, but it doesn’t really mean anything. You have to go out there and be the better basketball team or else your season’s done,” he said.
Draft Prospect Works Out With Thunder
Projected lottery pick Nate Ament confirmed he completed a one-on-zero workout with Oklahoma City earlier this week. The Tennessee forward described the session as “super tough endurance wise.” The Thunder hold the 12th, 17th and 37th selections in June’s draft and have been linked to potential trade-up scenarios.
Source: Hoops Rumors
