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.
But the Oklahoma City star described the 2025-26 season as a failure on Sunday, one day after the Thunder lost to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals to end their chance at winning consecutive NBA titles. The Spurs advance to play the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals while Gilgeous-Alexander begins his offseason earlier than expected.
“I failed at my goal,” Gilgeous-Alexander said during his exit-day press conference. “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.”
The Thunder looked like a good bet to return to the NBA Finals for most of the season.
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 against the Spurs.
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.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 25.9 points in the series, including three games of 30 or more, but shot just 40.9% from the field, well off his stellar 55.3 rate in the regular season. He averaged 31.1 points during the regular season.
Gilgeous-Alexander shot less than 37% four times during a series in which Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was a constant obstacle.
“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.”
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.
Williams feels that series would have gone differently if he had been healthy.
“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?”
Ajay Mitchell, who filled in well for Williams, missed the final four games after sustaining a right calf strain. His absence also hurt badly.
One player getting heat over the Oklahoma City collapse is big man Chet Holmgren, who was badly outplayed by the 7-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.
“I feel like part of it was being kind of closed out heavy,” Holmgren said. “Then 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’t in the moment. That’s an area to improve.”
Wembanyama averaged 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in the series for San Antonio.
–Field Level Media
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