“I shouldn’t have fouled him” - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander regrets the last-second foul on P.J. Washington that led to Dallas’ series win
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The Oklahoma City Thunder blew a 17-point lead and lost Game 6 and the series against the Dallas Mavericks. The final blow was P.J. Washington making the winning free throws after a dubious foul from their star man, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander.
OKC’s MVP candidate's instant reaction during the press conference was to take accountability for the foul. He admits he does not want to watch the foul replay anymore because he knew he fouled Washington.
“I shouldn’t have fouled him. We talked about it all year, the little things that go into winning games, and being disciplined. It sucks, if I had the moment back, I would not have fouled him,” Shai said in his post-Game 6 press conference. “I should’ve just let him make or miss the shot. Basketball, you win some, you lose some, and you make mistakes.”
Shai admits he trusts the referee’s call
It is natural to feel slighted by the referee after a foul call led to your team losing the series, but Gilgeous-Alexander did not take that route. SGA admitted he did not want to watch the replay anymore because the refs took a closer look at it after the challenge and still deemed it a foul.
That is basketball, and Shai does not take any offense to a foul being called there. Yes, it hurts, but SGA is mature enough to admit he made a mistake with the foul and wants to bounce back.
The OKC superstar showed maturity by accepting the foul call, a situation where many would have complained. Instead, Shai chose to reflect on how he could have avoided the mistake, recognizing the importance of learning from it rather than contesting the decision.
“I didn’t look at it. They looked at it and still didn’t overturn it. I don’t want to look at it. I fouled him, clearly because they reviewed it,” Shai continued.
It was still a magical season for Shai and OKC
Becoming the first seed in the Western Conference and competing in the semifinals makes the season successful. Of course, it is a natural feeling to be disappointed after the loss, but this proves that OKC still needed experience in the Playoffs. As the youngest team in the NBA to win a Playoff series, they proved their talent and composition were good enough to compete with the seasoned veterans.
This Thunder team coached by Mark Daigneault has a bright future not only because of Shai but for the rest of the young roster. They will only improve, which bodes well for the franchise’s long-term future as they try to conquer the ever-competitive Western Conference.