Thunder Edge Pacers to Level NBA Finals
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge with 34 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back to defeat the Indiana Pacers 123-107 in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, evening the series at 1-1.
After losing a nail-biter in Game 1, the Thunder dominated Sunday’s matchup from start to finish at the Paycom Center.
Gilgeous-Alexander, recently crowned the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, also tallied five rebounds and eight assists.
His first basket of the game marked a historic milestone, taking him past 3,000 points for the season—making him just the 12th player in NBA history to do so.
Game 3 of the best-of-seven series shifts to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis at 1:30 BST on Thursday. It will mark the first NBA Finals game played in the city in 25 years.
“They play the full 48 minutes—you can’t just throw the first punch,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You’ve got to keep swinging all night. That’s what we did, and we got the win.”
Jalen Williams added 19 points for Oklahoma City, while Aaron Wiggins and Chet Holmgren chipped in with 18 and 15 points respectively.
Holmgren also grabbed six rebounds, bouncing back from a quiet Game 1 performance.
The Pacers struggled to keep pace despite having seven players score in double figures. Tyrese Haliburton, who finished with 17 points, three rebounds, and six assists, appeared to walk with a slight limp during the post-game press conference. Myles Turner contributed 16 points, and Pascal Siakam added 15.
Despite the loss, Haliburton remained optimistic: “It’s still a race to four. We’re heading home with the series tied.”
Thunder Edge Pacers to Level NBA Finals