After a stunning Game 1 collapse, the Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back in emphatic fashion Sunday night, cruising past the Indiana Pacers with a 123-107 victory to tie the NBA Finals at one game apiece.
It was a total team response — anchored by Canadian star and NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — that brought the Thunder back to life after Indiana stole the opener in Oklahoma City. Now, with the series shifting to Indianapolis for Game 3 on Wednesday, it’s anyone’s championship to claim.
Gilgeous-Alexander put on a masterclass in Game 2, scoring 34 points while adding eight assists and five rebounds. He didn’t just score — he controlled the game, getting into the paint at will and dictating the offense with poise and purpose. Twelve of his 21 shot attempts came in the paint, and he made regular trips to the free-throw line, going 12-for-12.
“Every game is a reset,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s going to take a supreme level of focus to reach the ultimate goal. You can’t just throw the first punch. You’ve got to throw all the punches all night.”
He also made history in the process. With his first basket of Game 2 — a short jumper early in the first quarter — the 26-year-old became just the 13th player in NBA history to score 3,000 total points in a single season, including the playoffs. He joins legends like Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the exclusive club. He’s also one of only four players ever to pair 3,000 points with 600 assists in a season.
Thunder’s depth delivers
While Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge, it was a full team effort from the Thunder that allowed them to take control in the second quarter and never look back.
Aaron Wiggins, who had played limited minutes in the playoffs, gave the Thunder a massive lift off the bench. He scored 18 points in 21 minutes, hit five three-pointers, and played with a fearlessness that disrupted Indiana’s rhythm. Wiggins’ 19-2 run with the Thunder in the second quarter helped break the game wide open.
“I just stay ready and take advantage of the opportunities I get,” Wiggins said. “I got hot tonight. The guys kept finding me. I stuck with it.”
Meanwhile, rookie big man Chet Holmgren also rebounded from a rough Game 1, chipping in 15 points, six rebounds, and an early block-dunk-assist stretch that helped Oklahoma City build its early lead. Jalen Williams added 19 points and looked far more comfortable than in the opener.
Coach Mark Daigneault’s decision to keep Cason Wallace in the starting lineup over regular-season starter Isaiah Hartenstein was again under the microscope. But the smaller, faster Thunder group proved disruptive on defense and effective in transition.
Hartenstein still made an impact off the bench, while Alex Caruso chipped in a surprising 20 points.
Pacers cool off
After erupting from three-point range in Game 1, Indiana’s offense cooled considerably. Tyrese Haliburton was held to just five points through three quarters and finished with 17 on the night. Pascal Siakam scored just 15 points on 3-for-11 shooting, and the Pacers hit only 14 of their 40 threes.
Haliburton admitted post-game that Indiana wasn’t aggressive enough getting inside.
“We were just moving the ball on the outside,” he said. “We weren’t attacking the paint.”
Coach Rick Carlisle agreed. “You have to get stops, rebound, avoid turnovers, and get into the paint,” he said. “That’s a lot to ask against a team like Oklahoma City.”
Indiana became the first team since the 2013 Miami Heat to go two Finals games without a 20-point scorer.
Thunder resilience continues
The Thunder are now 17-2 following a loss this season — a testament to their youth, composure, and focus. They responded to a Game 1 loss in the Western Conference semifinals with a 43-point win over Denver. Now they’ve done it again in the Finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who leads all players with 548 playoff points this year, said it best: “No one-man show achieves what I’m trying to achieve with this game. My teammates are the reason we’re as good of a team as we are.”
As the Finals shift to Indiana for Games 3 and 4, the Thunder will look to carry that momentum into enemy territory.
Parts of this report were originally published by the Associated Press and Washington Post.