Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is well on his way to being named the Finals MVP. During Game 2 of the Finals in Oklahoma, SGA came out of the blocks on fire and played as if he had a point to prove. After the disaster of Game 1, the Thunder needed to bounce back and recollect themselves before taking on the Pacers in Game 2. The Thunder made the mistake of not closing out the game in Game 1; this time, there was none of the complacency that was evident in Game 1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gave an MVP-worthy performance in a game that showed the NBA why the Thunder has made it this far.
Game 2 is where the Thunder showed up for the NBA Finals
In Game 2, we got to see the Oklahoma City Thunder that we have been watching all season long. The defense, the teamwork, the scoring, and the turnovers leading to buckets are all fundamentals for Oklahoma basketball. Shai Gilgeos-Alexander displayed the kind of skills that have earned him the regular-season MVP award. He truly came out ready to play and with a chip on his shoulder.
The game began similarly to the first one as the Thunder were able to stop the Pacers from scoring, particularly from getting into the paint. Tyrese Haliburton was a no-show and only scored 5 points in the first half. After his clutch shot that won Game 1 by one point for the Pacers, one would have expected more from the Pacers’ franchise player.
What changes did Mark Daigneault make for Game 2?
Game 1 was a tense affair. The Thunder began the game well, but never capitalized on the early turnovers. This allowed the Pacers to mount a comeback in the third and fourth quarters. Oklahoma’s head coach, Mark Daigneault, needed to calm the nerves to get the best out of his players. Whatever he said to them had the desired effect as the Thunder maintained a large lead going into the second half.
The bench showed up for the Thunder in the second half.
The Thunder have a special squad. Players like Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace prop up the star performers like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. SGA is a very competent scorer, and with a mid-range shot in the first half, he became the 12th player in NBA history to score 3,000 points in a single season. His scoring is well known, but in Game 2, he showed another skill that has SGA becoming a serious contender for Finals MVP: his assists.
The Thunder had three players other than SGA with double-digit points: Chet Holmgren(who was non-existent in Game 1), Alex Caruso(who is already an NBA champion), and Andrew Wiggins all scored in the double digits. SGA was the playmaker as he dished out 8 assists to seven different teammates in Game 2, showing that there is a lot more to his game than just scoring. It must be noted that SGA does have a few detractors in the NBA world.
After the game, SGA had the following to say:
“I’m being myself. I don’t think I tried to reinvent the wheel or step up to the plate with a different mindset. Just try to attack the game the right way. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that so far.”
SGA is a prime candidate for the NBA Finals MVP award
Following his performance in Game 2, SGA has become the obvious choice for Finals MVP. He already has the regular season MVP award in the bag. However, basketball is a team sport, and SGA would not be able to play so effectively if it were not for his teammates. If SGA can take care of his body and avoid injury, he is well on his way to establishing a legacy in Oklahoma. Game 3 moves the show to Indiana, where the tone and environment will be very different for both teams. Will the Pacers take full advantage of the home court to take a lead in the series? Or will the Thunder continue to dominate and pull away?
