As he walked off the court in the immediate aftermath of the Oklahoma City Thunder's 113-104 overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of the conference semifinals on Friday night, Thunder star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander flashed a wide smile. Given the way the Thunder, who collectively scored two points in overtime, had just been defeated, it was a bit odd to see Gilgeous-Alexander in such a seemingly jovial mood.

Some fans on social media were even upset by his demeanor.

After the game, Gilgeous-Alexander explained to reporters that he was smiling because he was being taunted by fans while walking off the court.

"Some fans were taunting me," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "And I know how the game goes. I know how life is. It's easy to taunt when you're up. And I don't ever want to show them that I'm defeated or mad or anything like that. Nothing's written. The series is not over. And we have a lot to be optimistic about."

"I didn't perform the way I [wanted to] down the stretch but I have an opportunity the next game and the next game after that to make up for it. I'm optimistic about it."

Gilegous-Alexander scored a combined three points in the fourth quarter and overtime on 1 of 8 shooting. Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA's leading scorer and a finalist for the MVP award during the regular season, did not score in the overtime period.

"The game gets slower late game," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Execution matters more. But in those moments when the game slows down, it usually comes down to your best players making shots and making plays. And I didn't do a good enough job of that tonight. And I think that's the main reason for the outcome."

"Yeah so I think it's more so that than anything else to be honest."

Game 4, which will tip off on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET, will present a chance for Gilgeous-Alexander to bounce back with the Thunder trailing 2-1 in the series.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Explained Why He Was Smiling After Thunder Loss.

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