Thunder Dominate Pacers to Even Series

Game 2 Recap

The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the Indiana Pacers 123-107 on Sunday night to tie the NBA Finals at one game apiece. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, Alex Caruso added 20 off the bench, and the Thunder’s strong performance was evident throughout the game.

Jalen Williams scored 19, Aaron Wiggins had 18, and Chet Holmgren finished with 15 for the Thunder. It was the franchise’s first finals game win since the opener of the 2012 series against Miami.

Pacers’ Struggle

Tyrese Haliburton scored 17 for Indiana, which erased a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit in Game 1 but never made a push on Sunday. Myles Turner scored 16 and Pascal Siakam added 15 for the Pacers, the first team since Miami in 2013 to not have a 20-point scorer in the first two games of the finals.

Upcoming Games

Game 3 is Wednesday at Indianapolis, in what will be the first finals game in that city in 25 years. The Thunder will look to carry their momentum from Game 2 into the next game, while the Pacers will aim to bounce back and take the lead in the series.

Notable Achievements

Gilgeous-Alexander’s first basket of the night was a history-maker: It gave him 3,000 points on the season, including the regular season and playoffs. And later in Game 2, he passed New York’s Jalen Brunson (514) as the leading overall scorer in these playoffs. But the real milestone for the MVP came a couple hours later, when he and most everybody else on the Thunder got a finals win for the first time.

Game Highlights

A 19-2 run in the second quarter turned what was a six-point game into a 23-point Thunder lead. It might have seemed wobbly a couple of times — an immediate 10-0 rebuttal by the Pacers made it 52-39, and Indiana was within 13 again after Andrew Nembhard’s layup with 7:09 left in the third — but the Thunder lead was never in serious doubt.

Thunder’s Resilience

With the noise level in the building often topping 100 decibels — a chainsaw is 110 dB, for comparison purposes — the Thunder did what they’ve done pretty much all season. They came off a loss, this time a 111-110 defeat in Game 1, and blew somebody out as their response. Including the NBA Cup title game, which doesn’t count in any standings, the Thunder are now 18-2 this season when coming off a loss. Of those 18 wins, 12 have been by double digits.

Conclusion

The Thunder’s dominant performance in Game 2 has evened the series, and they will look to carry their momentum into Game 3. The Pacers, on the other hand, will aim to bounce back and take the lead in the series. With the series now tied, the next game will be crucial in determining the outcome of the NBA Finals.

FAQs

• What was the final score of Game 2? The Oklahoma City Thunder won 123-107.
• Who led the Thunder in scoring? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points.
• What is the current state of the series? The series is tied 1-1.
• When is Game 3? Game 3 is scheduled for Wednesday at Indianapolis.
• What is the significance of Game 3? It will be the first finals game in Indianapolis in 25 years.