DALLAS — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander buried his face in his jersey. Chet Holmgren put his hands on his head. Jaylen Williams staggered in desperation, then bent over and put his hands in his lap.
The game was epic, and the Thunder's 117-116 loss in Game 6 was even more heartbreaking.
Dallas advances to the Western Conference Finals. Oklahoma City is on its way home.
An emotional fourth quarter filled with spectacular shot-making and potentially game-deciding plays ended at the whistle. A correct whistle, but still a whistle.
Gilgeous-Alexander played well all night, fouling his college friend P.J. Washington on a 3-pointer with three seconds left in the game.
Before the call was even made, mayhem broke out.
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With the clock ticking down and the Mavericks leading by one, Luka Doncic was double-teamed by Gilgeous-Alexander and Lou Dort and lost the ball. Doncic retrieved the stone and handed it to Washington, who blew out SGA with a shot fake. Washington lured SGA into contact with a double clutch.
Washington was glued to the line, making the first two foul shots and intentionally missing the third. Chet Holmgren bounced a miss and passed to Jaylen Williams, but the buzzer-beating 64-foot Hail Mary missed all.
“I shouldn't have fouled him,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
He laughed, wondering what else he could do.
A spectacular night at SGA came to a cruel end. A spectacular series. A wonderful season.
“We talk all year long about the little things that go into winning games. And being disciplined. It sucks,” SGA said. “Obviously, if I had that moment back, I wouldn't have fouled him and just let him take the shot or miss it.”
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SGA was asked if it had seen the replay of the foul.
“I can't see it,” he said. “But (the referees) saw it and if they saw it and still didn't turn it over, I think they fouled him.”
Crew chief Tony Brothers explained the call in a pool report.
“During the review, it was determined that Shai initially started with the ball, but then slipped off the ball and made clearly illegal contact with Washington's arm while still controlling the ball and taking the shot. I understand.”
If SGA had flipped the ball, the contact would have been considered minor, Brothers said.
But it was a foul and Gilgeous-Alexander owned it.
How many players, let alone star players, could have accepted the truth so calmly?
Especially when this foul not only ruined an iconic individual game, but also ruined the Thunder's victory that would take the series back to Oklahoma City in Monday's Game 7.
Gilgeous-Alexander hid his head inside his jersey as he left the court, but could not hide the pain.
“It was horrible,” he said. “The way it ended, it sucked because it was like I was solely responsible for those three guys. My teammates did a lot all night to get us to where we were, but on the last possession… As for the details…”
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The foul would have obscured Gilgeous-Alexander's alley-oop to Holmgren that would have given the Thunder the lead with 20 seconds left. SGA's cold step-back 3-pointer that cut Dallas' lead to two points with 1:05 left will be largely forgotten.
Gilgeous-Alexander was a sensation before committing his final crime. He scored 36 points on 56% shooting. He had eight assists against zero turnovers. He had two blocks.
“He's a big-time player, but he hasn't proven it on this stage yet,” Thunder manager Mark Daigneault said. “I thought that came through loud and clear throughout the postseason.”
SGA played a playoff career-high 42 minutes and 42 seconds on Saturday.
Of course, he wasn't solely to blame for the Thunder's loss, but Gilgeous-Alexander's gracious demeanor after the game was a reminder that the Thunder are goalies themselves.
Asked about SGA's impact, Holmgren said, “I don't know if I can put it into words.” “I think everyone saw what he did, not just in this series and this game, but throughout the season.
“The importance of that play is under the microscope because it decided the game, but without him we wouldn't get a single point with 12 seconds left. I look at myself and think about everything that happened up until that point. On a play, I was either half a second late or I didn't make this play or I didn't make that play…that's on me.”
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It's a shame that such a game ended with a free throw.
In Game 6, it looked like the Thunder's fortunes would turn around. Some are by luck and some are by guts.
Gilgeous-Alexander was great. Jaylen Williams had his best game of the series. The Thunder ended up winning the first quarter, making a normal amount of 3-point shots (37%).
OKC became the aggressor before going on defense, fending off repeated Mavericks runs.
The Thunder gained a 16-point advantage off of turnovers and built a 16-point lead at halftime. But the Mavericks didn't back down.
Doncic and Kyrie Irving were relentless. Derrick Jones Jr. was heroic. Derek Lively II? Helped the rookie stop the Thunder for the entire series.
One of the most remarkable seasons in OKC's short history has come to an end. The young Thunder won 57 games en route to the No. 1 seed. The Thunder defeated the Pelicans in the first round, but lost in six games to the Mavericks in the West Regional semifinals.
There will be time to look ahead to consider the heights this team can reach, but Gilgeous-Alexander didn't let his mind wander Saturday night.
“Moments and games like tonight don't get any better,” SGA said.
Joe Moussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have an idea for Joe's story? Email jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe's work and the work of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
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