After dropping Game 1 of the NBA Finals on its home court earlier in the week, everyone knew the Oklahoma City Thunder would respond.
The only questions were, how loud and sustainable would that response be? On Sunday night, one of those questions was answered as the Thunder stormed their way to a convincing 123-107 victory. The best-of-seven series is now tied, 1-1, with Game 3 slated for Wednesday night in Indiana.
The test now will be whether the NBA’s best team throughout the regular season can repeat Sunday night’s explosive effort, or at least one capable of clinching three more victories and Oklahoma City’s first-ever championship.
“We used the opportunity to get better,” MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN immediately following the game, referencing his team’s response to losing Game 1. “We’ve done a really good job of it all year. And last game was no different. Tonight was the same thing. We did some things good tonight, we did some things bad. We’ve got to be able to get better, get ready for Game 3.”
In Game 2 at least, Gilgeous-Alexander was every bit his MVP self. The 6-foot, 6-inch guard finished with a game-high 34 points to complement his eight assists, five rebounds, and four steals. And while his 34 points were four points shy of his effort in Game 1, his 11-for-21 performance from the floor was much more efficient than the 14-for-30 shooting line he posted in his Finals debut.
In fact, Gilgeous-Alexander’s 72 points to begin the series surpasses Hall of Famer Allen Iverson (by one point) as the most points scored by a player in their first two NBA Finals games.
“You can mark down 34 points before they even get on the plane tomorrow for the next game,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of Gilgeous-Alexander after the game. “The guy’s going to score. We’ve got to find ways to make it as tough as possible on him.”
Unfortunately for Pacers fans, unlike Game 1 in which Indiana was able to erase a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to steal the win, Oklahoma City never took its foot off the gas pedal. Alex Caruso was lights out for the home team coming off the bench, finishing with 20 points on 4-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Jalen Williams (19 points, five rebounds, five assists) and Chet Holmgren (15 points, six rebounds) also scored in double figures for the Thunder.
Indiana, meanwhile, saw seven different players score in double figures, with none surpassing 17 points. Game 1 hero Tyrese Haliburton was the Pacers’ high scorer with 17 points, followed by Myles Turner (16 points, four rebounds, four assists), Pascal Siakam (15 points, seven rebounds, four assists), Aaron Nesmith (14 points, four rebounds), Bennedict Mathurin (14 points), Andrew Nembhard (11 points, four rebounds, four assists), and TJ McConnell (11 points, six assists, two steals).
On Wednesday, the series shifts to Indiana, where the city will play host to its first NBA Finals game since 2000. Suffice it to say, Pacers Nation will be loud in encouraging their team to reclaim a series lead.
As mentioned earlier, the only question now is whether Oklahoma City can sustain that high-octane effort that earned it a much-needed win in Game 2 to take its first lead of the series.
As with all things NBA postseason, only time will tell.
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