The OKC Thunder bounce back after the heartbreaking loss in Game One and tie the series up in dominant fashion. Game Two reminded the world why OKC won 68 games and had the honor of being the top seed in the West. From Shai’s MVP-type performance to the exquisite defensive prowess by committee, here’s how OKC dominated game 2.
The Thunder did something they’ve rarely done all postseason in Game One: They went small with their lineups. The change proved costly as Indiana out-rebounded the Thunder 56-39, which allowed the Pacers to get back into the game. In Game Two, they employed their patented Two Big Man lineup, consisting of Hartenstein and Holmgren, which made all the difference in the world.
Not only did that prevent them from being dominated on the glass, but they won the rebounding battle 43 to 35. The Pacers trailed by 20 points pretty much the entire game, and whenever it looked like they would make a run when cutting the lead down to 14 or 15, the Thunder would get a big rebound off their miss and kick it out to a three-point shooter, and balloon the lead back up to eighteen. Expect OKC to continue running this lineup with heavy minutes for the rest of the series.
Another adjustment OKC made was to do a better job of closing out on shooters. In Game One, Indiana shot 18/39 from three-point range, once again being a key factor in their incredible comeback. However, OKC was much more disciplined in the second game and made it tough on the shooters as the Pacers shot 14/40 from beyond the arc.
Tyrese Haliburton’s stat line may appear modest with 17 points and six rebounds, but the numbers are misleading. Twelve of those points came in the fourth quarter, when the Pacers trailed by 20 for most of the period, so they didn’t hold much value. So he only scored five points when the game was still somewhat in the balance.
Richard Jefferson on the broadcast said that he needs to set the tone for the team and be more aggressive early. If he can attack the paint earlier in the game and force the Thunder defense to collapse, he can kick it out to their shooters, and that’s when the Pacers are most dangerous.
Of course, that is easier said than done because the Thunder have been relentless on defense, as Lu Dort and Alex Caruso, two of their best wing defenders, have made it incredibly tough on him. That said, Haliburton is the driving force on that team, and if the Pacers are going to have consistency on offense, he has to figure something out.
In the first three quarters, he took seven shots, and only one of them was near the paint. That will not get it done, and if that becomes a trend, Indiana will be going home in five games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was incredible. He scored 34 points on 11/21 shooting from the field, and not a single defender had an answer for the master of the midrange. He continues to vindicate his MVP win over the Joker. The same could have been said about his Game One performance, but the difference this time was that Chet and Jalen Williams had terrific game as well.
Williams and Holmgren combined for just 23 points in Game One, but that number got bumped to 34 in Game Two, which is more on par with their production all season. The Big Three were unstoppable in this game, but what makes the Thunder most dangerous is that they have different role players who have breakout games almost every game. In this game, it was Aaron Wiggins and Alex Caruso.
Caruso had 20 points, and Wiggins had 18 on 5/8 shooting from three. Last game, it was Lu Dort with five threes. The Thunder are capable of having anyone on the roster have a career game because the team is so deep, and it seems like everyone on the team is a scoring threat, with no one being particularly vulnerable on defense. There are no words to describe the job Sam Presti has done with this team. A well-deserved Executive of the Year honor for him.
With all that said, Indiana is still in good shape. The goal for them was to split the games in OKC, and they were able to do just that. Their mindset is to hold serve at home and win the series in 6 games. Heading back to OKC for a Game Seven is a dangerous spot to be, just ask the Nuggets.
It will be interesting to see how Indiana handles a game 3 in a series tied 1-1. In the three series prior, Indiana had gone up 2-0 in each one, so Game 3 was essentially a formality for them, which is why they had a 0-3 record in that particular game. However, that will not be the case on Wednesday, and if they want to win the title as the underdog, they should lean on the home court.
Next Stop: Indiana!
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