NBA Finals: MVP Gilgeous-Alexander leads Thunder to Game 2 victory, levels series
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hits 34 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 123-107
The Oklahoma City Thunder, fuelled by an efficient 34 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, thumped the Indiana Pacers 123-107 on Sunday to level the NBA Finals at one game apiece.
NBA MVP Gilgeous-Alexander connected on 11 of 21 shots and added five rebounds, eight assists and four of Oklahoma City’s 10 steals as the Thunder bounced back from an agonising game one defeat on their home court.
Jalen Williams added 19 points, and centre Chet Holmgren bounced back from a lacklustre six-point game one to score 15 points with six rebounds for the Thunder, who limited Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton to 17 points, three rebounds and six assists with five turnovers.
Haliburton, who drilled the last-gasp game-winner for Indiana in their 111-110 series opening triumph, had just five points through the first three quarters.
Despite his 12 points in the fourth, the Pacers never looked like mounting the kind of comeback that saw them erase a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit in game one.
“We know with them [defence] is where it starts,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They’re a high-powered offence, they play fast, score a bunch of points and if you don’t get stops you end up running all game and they can beat you that way.”