Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers promised to be entertaining, and it delivered. The Thunder and Pacers are locked in a series that promotes the small-market teams and the diversity of the NBA. Game one was a tight affair as the Thunder never looked like pulling away from the Pacers, and thanks to some last-second heroics from Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers stole a win in Oklahoma. Game 2 promised to see a reinvigorated Thunder take the court in an attempt to prove that number one seed.
The first half of play looked like the Thunder we know so well
After the cagey game one that saw the Thunder lose in the last few seconds, SGA and his teammates had something to prove in game 2. The game started with the Thunder dominating the play with their iconic defense that limited the Pacers’ star player, Tyrese Haliburton. The Thunder were able to continue their scoring run thanks to MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But it was the bench that stepped up to make game 2 special.
Game 2 was all about the Oklahoma City Thunder’s response to Game 1
The key factor leading up to the game was how the Thunder would respond and bounce back after the loss in game one. The Thunder came out of the blocks on fire, showing the kind of scoring and defensive skills that have gotten them to the Finals. In the first quarter, SGA would score a 10-footer and in doing so, he became the 12th player in history to score 3,000 points in a single season.
The Thunder’s response to losing game one was truly a remarkable sight to behold. We all know what the Indiana Pacers are capable of. Tyrese Haliburton and Miles Turner have been two of the best players in their respective positions around the NBA. However, the first two quarters looked like the usual blowout performance coming from the Thunder.
The second half of game two is where things were different
In game one, the Thunder were guilty of not closing the game out. Their complacency led to the Pacers mounting a comeback in the third and fourth quarters. After the heart-wrenching clutch shot that won the game for the Pacers, the pressure was on to make sure that the Thunder learned from their mistakes and did not allow the Pacers to mount any sort of a comeback.
As the third quarter went on, SGA continued with his scoring performance that would see him end the game with 34 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals. After the win, SGA had the following to say,
“They play a full 48 minutes, and you can’t just throw the first punch, you’ve got to try to throw all the punches all night. That’s what we did. We threw enough punches tonight to get a ‘W’.”
The bench of OKC was a defining factor in the win. The Thunder need the other players on the team to carry some of the immense weight that SGA is expected to handle, and they came through in spades. Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Aaron Wiggins all scored double digits to ensure there was no comeback for the Pacers this time. The Thunder have waited a long time for this opportunity, and seem the favorites to win the Finals.
Can the Thunder go all the way and win the NBA Finals?
With game 2 in the bag for the Thunder, can SGA and his teammates continue the winning trend as the series moves to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis? As the season is winding down, the focus for the Thunder is on winning the next game; the Pacers have home-court advantage for game 3, so the environment will be very different. The rest of the NBA is consumed by the inevitable trade rumors that light up the airwaves this time of the year. As for the Finals, we are glued to our screens to see who comes out on top.
