It would be hard to imagine a more crushing defeat than the one suffered by the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of their playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is apparently embracing it as an opportunity. The star guard, who is likely to earn his first NBA MVP award in short order, was asked postgame how his side will respond to the self-created adversity that comes with fumbling a late 11-point lead. And he found a silver lining amid the dark clouds.

"Should be good, should be fun," he said. "We're going to find out what we're really made of ... It's the game of life. It's about how you respond to getting knocked won."

Gilgeous-Alexander was predictably great in the defeat, putting up 33 points to go with 10 rebounds and eight assists. But Denver simply made more plays down the stretch while capitalizing on a bunch of Oklahoma City fouls that stopped the clock and greatly aided in the comeback effort. Aaron Gordon, who knocked down the game-winner, spoke about the poise his side showed—perhaps driven by champioship mettle. The Thunder, seeking to build upon a blistering regular season, failed their first chance to prove that they too can rise to the moment in a later playoff round. Those questions will remain until what promises to be a very fun and intense Game 2.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Has Optimistic Reaction to Thunder's Crushing Game 1 Loss.

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