Alexander and the Thunder withstood the biggest challenge of the season. The pressure of Tianwangshan is coming to the Nuggets

(Original article was published on May 12, authored by MarcJ.Spears of Andscape website, and the content of the article does not represent the translator's opinion)

When the Thunder's star guard Alexander left the game with a key away victory in the playoffs, some fans shouted "MVP" at the home court of Nuggets center Jokic, who is Alexander's biggest competitor in the MVP award.

The three-time All-Star responded to the challenge of "life-and-death battle" with 25 points (including 9 free throws) and 6 assists in the Western Conference semi-finals G4 Thunder defeated the Nuggets 92-87. In this game where both sides are struggling to attack, Alexander scored 9 points in the final quarter to secure the victory.

As Alexander stood up in the most severe test of the Thunder's brilliant season, the top seed in the Western Conference tied the seven-game four-win series 2-2.

"The most important thing for me is that no matter any occasion or moment, I hope I can be the kind of person who desires to challenge, embrace challenges and conquers challenges." Alexander told Andscape. "If I want to be that kind of player, I can't escape. So I shoulder this responsibility and look forward to standing up at these moments. If I don't do it, I will go back and continue working hard."

Alexander is currently the hottest candidate for this year's MVP, and Jokic and Bucks forward Antetokounmpo are also on the final shortlist with him. According to ESPN statistics, Alexander led the league this season with an average of 32.7 points per game, contributing 6.4 rebounds and 5 assists, making him the only player to be among the top five in offensive and defensive efficiency at the same time. At the same time, the Thunder also led the regular season record with 68 wins.

No matter what the MVP belongs, Jokic and Antetokounmpo have achieved what Alexander is still chasing - winning the NBA championship. Since relocating from Seattle in 2008, the Thunder has not yet been involved in the O'Brien Cup. For the Thunder star, while the MVP trophy is beautiful enough, the championship and finals MVP are obviously more attractive.

"This has always been my ultimate goal," Alexander said of his desire for a championship. "No other honor can be compared with it. From the boss to the general manager to the coach, everyone is eager to win, and that's the most important thing, and I'm no exception. Boss Bennett wants to win, General Manager Presti wants to win, and they are doing everything they can to help the team win, and that's where I go all out." The reason for the tricky situation is that Alexander and the Thunder fell behind the Nuggets 1-2 before the start of the G4. The Canadian star made only 7 of 22 shots in the Thunder's 103-113 overtime loss.

Despite the pressure of World War IV and the slump of World War III, this fashionista, known for her calmness, still maintains a calm attitude. "I accept all the process," Alexander said. "I didn't grasp the goal that should be scored, but I didn't escape the critical moment. This is the most important thing. You can never control the shooting percentage. Even the strongest Michael Jordan in history has times of missing. Since he will do this, why can't I? Learn to take the blows, try to create better mobile phone opportunities, and then shoot decisively."

Alexander's athletic talent is largely inherited from his mother, Chaman Gilgers, a former Antigua and Barbuda track and field star who participated in the women's 400m at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, more than 30 years earlier than her son's 2024 Paris Olympics. She was also selected into the All-American team five times at the University of Alabama.

Just in the early morning of Mother's Day this year, when Alexander called to send his blessings, his parents still maintained their usual attitude. Instead of giving any advice, they let the Thunder star solve the problem on his own and avoid additional pressure.

"They never give me a bloody blow to basketball games," Alexander said in a post-match press conference when answering Andscape's question about her mother. "She will love me no matter what happens, and I think it's enough to keep me on the game. The most important person in my life always treats me the same way, which allows me to focus on my performance on the field. I can keep smiling no matter what the result is." When the G4 of the series entered the fourth quarter, the Nuggets led 69-63, and both sides played extremely hard on the offensive end. Alexander had scored 16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists at this time, but other starting players of the Thunder made only 9 of 35 shots, and the entire starting lineup had only 2 of 19 three-pointers.

Jokic said that the Nuggets' focus in the fourth quarter was on Alexander's mark. "We tried to limit him in different ways," said Jokic, who scored 22 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists in the game. "He is a top player. We want to give defenders such as Braun or Westbrook a support for assisting defense like the first game, forcing him to think a little more."

The last 5 minutes and 30 seconds of the game, Alexander took over and helped the Thunder secure the victory. He made two free throws in 5 minutes and 28 seconds before the final game to help the Thunder lead 79-76, and then made two consecutive mid-range shots to expand the advantage to 83-78. In the first 3 minutes and 01 seconds of the final game, the 26-year-old star struggled in assists and teammate Jaylen Williams completed "3+1" and rewritten the score to 86-80. The breakthrough layup of 2 minutes and 22 seconds before the final game was frozen at 88-81, completely killing the suspense.

Alexander admitted that he deliberately strengthened his offensive aggressiveness: "This is the moment you fight for. All offseason training and 82 regular season games are for such a critical moment, and there is no more wonderful experience than this."

Jokic commented after the game: "He is an incredible player, and his performance tonight is perfect."

This Thunder Youth Team, with an average age of only 24, successfully tied the series after suffering the first major adversity of the season.. For the Thunder, who are determined to win the championship, they are eager to go further. Alexander admitted that every playoff game has a sense of urgency of "life and death" and expected that "every game will be a tough battle from now on."

As the leader of the remaining players in the playoffs, this Thunder star showed an excellent mentality to conquer subsequent challenges. "As the core of the team, I am glorious when I win," said Alexander. "I enjoy praise when I win, and I have to shoulder the responsibility when I lose. This season we win more than we lose less, and we must continue this momentum. All I can do is live in the present, which is why the team and I can win tonight. We always focus on the present."

Original text: MarcJ.Spears

Compiled by: Li Taibai