LEAGUES News
SGA: 'Staying true to who we are' is why we're in the Finals
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has full confidence in his squad ahead of the NBA Finals.
"Staying true to who we are is the reason why we're here, and we'd be doing ourselves a disservice if we change or try to be something we're not once we got here," Gilgeous-Alexander said, per team reporter Nick Gallo. "We've had success doing so, and if you want to keep having success, we have to be who we are. It's organic. So it's nothing to think about or force. It just is who we are, no matter the moment."
The Thunder have been dominant this postseason. They hold the third-highest offensive rating (115.9), the best defensive rating (104.7), and have lost just four times. They also boast an 8-1 home record that includes four victories by 30 points or more.
"You get a group of guys that like playing with each other and like doing stuff for each other and just are constantly willing to like make the extra sacrifices, extra plays for each other while we go through the ups and downs of the season - I think that's what makes you a good team," Jalen Williams said.
"The biggest thing is playing for each other. It's the type of guys that we have here," Chet Holmgren said. "Everybody's going to tell you that they're a winner, and everybody is a winner until it's inconvenient for them. I feel like we have a team with 17 winners that are going to put winning at the top."
Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Thunder and Indiana Pacers kicks off Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET.