There was no Game 2 miracle for the Indiana Pacers.
The Oklahoma City Thunder seized early control of Sunday’s Game 2 of the NBA Finals and never let go en route to a 123-107 win. With the win, the Thunder tie the series at 1-1 and avoid digging an 0-2 deficit on their home court.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with an effort worthy of an NBA MVP on both sides of the ball while tallying 34 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. His effort combined with those of Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and the OKC bench ensured there would be no Indiana rally, or even a threat of one.
Gilgeous-Alexander and his fellow starters went to the bench with 2:42 remaining and the Thunder holding a 117-99 lead. The Pacers, who rallied from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to steal Game 1, had waved the white flag.
“We used the opportunity to get better,” Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN of bouncing back from Game 1. “We’ve done a really good job of it all year. And last game was no different.
“Tonight was the same thing. We did some things good tonight, we did some things bad. We’ve got to be able to get better, get ready for Game 3.”
Tyrese Haliburton fades in Game 2
Indiana’s playoff hero was nowhere to be found Sunday night. That is, until it was too late. Haliburton made just one field goal in the first half while scoring three points.
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When the third quarter ended, he had 5 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 turnovers. By then, Oklahoma City held a 93-74 lead.
Indiana has made it this far thanks to a historic penchant for mounting second-half rallies. But that’s not a strategy for winning games, and Sunday’s hole through three quarters proved too much for the Pacers to challenge.
Haliburton picked up his offense in the fourth quarter and finished with 17 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 turnovers. But by then, it was too late. There was no Pacers rally.
The Thunder were in full control from midway through the second quarter and never let the Pacers back in the game.
Chet Holmgren bounces back
Holmgren’s struggles in Game 1 played a big role in OKC’s blown lead. The third-year center scored six points while shooting just 2 of 9 from the field Thursday night, raising questions about whether the 23-year-old was ready for the NBA Finals stage.
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He responded with an assertive answer in Game 4. Holmgren led the Thunder in scoring with a nine-point first quarter while shooting 4 of 5 from the field and leading OKC to a 26-20 lead. He was a factor on both sides of the ball and finished Game 2 with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 1 block. He shot 6 of 11 from the field.
Williams, whom the Thunder selected in the same draft as Holmgren, also struggled in Game 1 with a 6-of-19 shooting effort for 17 points. He finished Sunday with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
The Thunder have faced questions about their youth and postseason inexperience throughout the playoffs that surfaced again after Game 1. As they have each time before, they answered the bell Sunday to deter any notion that they’re a regular-season team.
The Pacers had few answers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 2. (Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images)
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
OKC’s bench steps up
Oklahoma City’s depth has been one of its biggest strengths in its run to the NBA Finals.
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The bench was big again on Sunday, most notably Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins. OKC’s bench outscored Indiana’s, 48-33, and Caruso and Wiggins each scored more points than anyone on Indiana’s roster.
Caruso led the bench effort with 20 points and three rebounds while shooting 6 of 11 from the field and 4 of 8 from 3-point distance. Wiggins added 18 points and four rebounds while shooting 6 of 11 from the field and 5 of 8 from 3. He finished with a game-high plus-24 in the plus/minus column.
Oklahoma City’s collective Game 1 inefficiencies allowed the Pacers to mount a rally as the Thunder shot 39.8% from the field and couldn’t take advantage of a 98-82 advantage in field-goal attempts. OKC was much more efficient as a team on Sunday while shooting 48.8% from the field and 38.9% (14 of 36) from 3. Caruso and Wiggins were a big reason why.
Thunder defense gets the job done
It wasn’t the swarming Game 1 effort that forced 19 first-half Pacers turnovers. But Oklahoma City’s top-rated defense from the regular season was a major factor again Sunday night as the Pacers struggled to get good looks.
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The final stats don’t tell the whole story as the Pacers shot 45.1% from the field for the game. They did a lot of their damage on the scoreboard in a 33-point fourth quarter when the game’s outcome was all but determined.
Through three quarters, the Thunder used their length and active hands to limit Indiana to 38.7% shooting from the field. No Pacers player broke out or scored more than Haliburton’s 17 points.
Myles Turner gave the Pacers their best second-half shot in a 16-point, 4-rebound, 4-assist effort that included 10 third-quarter points. Pascal Siakam finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, but shot 3 of 11 from the field.
With Haliburton playing so passively early in the game, the Pacers needed somebody else to step up, and they didn’t get it Sunday night. Ideally for the Pacers, Haliburton’s that guy from the opening tip.
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Pacers fans will certainly hope to see that version of Haliburton for Game 3 on Wednesday night (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) in Indianapolis.
