Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a commanding 34-point performance as the Oklahoma City Thunder dismantled the Indiana Pacers 123-107 to level the NBA Finals at one apiece, ending a 12-year wait for a Finals win.
Inside a deafening Paycom Center, where the crowd regularly pushed the sound barrier past 100 decibels, the Thunder played with the urgency of a team that refused to let history repeat. Game 1’s one-point heartbreak turned into a Game 2 statement.
The Thunder seized control with a 19-2 second-quarter blitz that broke open what had been a tight affair. By halftime, the Pacers were chasing shadows, and despite occasional flurries including a brief 10-0 run, they never truly threatened.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who opened his night with the basket that gave him 3,000 points this season, also leapfrogged Jalen Brunson as the playoffs’ leading scorer. But it wasn’t just about numbers, it was about tone, tempo, and toughness.
Alex Caruso brought that toughness off the bench, dropping 20 points with his trademark defensive grit. Jalen Williams added 19, while Aaron Wiggins and rookie Chet Holmgren combined for 33 which is an evidence of a well-rounded Thunder machine.
This win was more than just a tie in the series. It marked Oklahoma City’s first Finals victory since Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook stunned Miami in 2012’s opener and perhaps the dawn of a new chapter.
Indiana, meanwhile, never found their footing. Tyrese Haliburton led with 17 points, but the Pacers became the first team since 2013 not to produce a 20-point scorer through the first two Finals games.
As the series shifts to Indianapolis for Game 3, the city’s first Finals matchup in 25 years, the pressure tilts. The Thunder have now won 18 of 20 games following a loss this season, with 12 of those by double digits. They don’t just respond. They rebound with purpose.
