MVP Gilgeous- Alexander: I failed

Speaking after his playoff run was cut shorter than anticipated, NBA league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander described his season a failure, due to the lack of a second consecutive championship.

The Oklahoma City Thunder star’s comments came after they were beaten in game seven of the NBA’s Western Conference finals by the San Antonio Spurs, who clinched a hard fought 4-3 series win. The Spurs will face the New York Knicks in the finals, which begin on June 3.

“I failed at my goal,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I didn’t 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’t get what I want. I look at this no different. I didn’t get where I wanted to go this season. There’s a reason for that. Now I have to look at that reason and try to make sure it never happens again.”

Gilgeous-Alexander’s normally excellent efficiency dipped in the seven-game series loss to the San Antonio Spurs, as he averaged 25.9 points on 40.9% shooting and 28.6% on 3s, compared with 31.1 points on 55.3% shooting and 38.6% on 3s during the regular season.

He did score 35 points on 21 shots in a magnificent Game 7 performance, nearly willing the injured Thunder past the finish line. But that output came almost entirely against a swarming, overloaded Spurs defense designed to make life difficult on the two-time MVP.

That led to an array of heavily contested midrange jumpers from Gilgeous-Alexander and a lower volume of shots at the rim.

“There’s a guy on their back line that is a little bit different,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of Wembanyama. “They funnel everything to him. It’s a really good defense. But it’s not impossible to score. I just think it’s very different.”Gilgeous-Alexander also didn’t have his usual help. Jalen Williams, the team’s No. 2 scorer, was limited to 54 minutes in the series after aggravating a tricky left hamstring injury early in Game 2. He returned for a brief Game 6 cameo before he was again ruled out for Game 7.

“Obviously I think I could have made an impact,” Williams said. “I think we could have won if I played. Went to seven with them without me playing. I don’t think I make us worse.

That’s really my answer to that. But it’s also hats off to them.

What do you want them to do about me being hurt?”

The Thunder were also without replacement starter Ajay Mitchell for a majority of the series. Mitchell had a big secondround series against the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 22.5 points in the sweep, but strained his right calf in Game 3, ending his season.

(ESPN/KH)