OKLAHOMA CITY.. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder with 34 points in a dominant 123-107 victory over the Indiana Pacers, tying the NBA Finals series at 1-1.
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Gilgeous-Alexander's performance not only restored balance to the Finals, but was also historic: his first basket of the night allowed him to reach 3,000 points in the season —including playoffs—, and he closed the game as the top scorer of the postseason, surpassing Jalen Brunson.
From the bench, Alex Caruso contributed 20 key points, while Jalen Williams (19), Aaron Wiggins (18), and Chet Holmgren (15) added to the collective effort that gave Oklahoma City its first Finals victory since 2012.A 19-2 run in the second quarter extended the home team's lead to 23 points, silencing any comeback attempts by Indiana, who were never able to get close enough to threaten the outcome. The noise in the Paycom Center exceeded 100 decibels during several passages of the game, reflecting the enthusiasm of a city that is once again excited about the title.
For the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton was the top scorer with 17 points, followed by Myles Turner (16) and Pascal Siakam (15). However, Indiana became the first team since Miami in 2013 to not have a player with 20 or more points in the first two games of a Finals.
The third game will be played on Wednesday in Indianapolis, in the first Finals game in that city in 25 years.
The Thunder, who now have 18 wins with only two losses after falling in one game this season —12 of them by double digits—, once again demonstrated their ability to respond to adversity.