On Wednesday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder faced a must-win situation in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs. After dropping Game 1 at home, the team needed a stellar performance from their back-to-back MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He delivered, scoring 30 points on 12-24 shooting and adding nine assists. His efforts helped the Thunder secure a victory and level the series before heading to Texas for the next matchup.
Despite the solid performance on the court, it was Gilgeous-Alexander’s postgame interview that caught the fans’ attention. During the interview, the focus shifted to Isaiah Hartenstein, who was assigned to obstruct the Spurs’ star player, Victor Wembanyama. In Game 1, Wembanyama had torched the Thunder with 41 points. This time, Hartenstein’s aggressive defense seemed to make a difference. However, on live television, Gilgeous-Alexander had an unexpected reaction.
When asked about Hartenstein’s impact by NBC’s Zora Stephenson, Gilgeous-Alexander initially seemed unimpressed. He stated, “I’m not sure if it was good, to be honest.” When pressed further, he repeated, “It was alright. It was good. It was good.” His deadpan response appeared to puzzle many viewers and quickly gained attention online.
Later, during a press conference, Gilgeous-Alexander offered clarification on the incident. He explained, “I didn’t really hear.” He added, “Then, when I realized what she said, I gave her the right answer.” This provided some context to what had been perceived as awkwardness during the interview.
The series will see the Thunder and their MVP head into Game 3 on Friday at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. The team and Gilgeous-Alexander will look to continue the strategy of using Hartenstein against Wembanyama in hopes of slowing down the Spurs’ key player.