After a late collapse in Game 1, the Oklahoma City Thunder left nothing to chance on Sunday night as they beat the Indiana Pacers 123-107 to tie the NBA Finals at 1-1.
The Thunder, stung by the disappointment of surrendering a 15-point fourth-quarter lead in the series opener, came out with a clear focus to avoid the same mistake in front of their home crowd.
Determined not to repeat the same mistakes, they took control early and never looked back, outplaying the Pacers in every department to deliver a statement win in the series.
“A lot of it comes down to just not panicking,” said Jalen Williams, reflecting on the win. “We always talk about winning the days in between games, watching film, adjusting. Not everything is as bad or as good as it seems in the moment.”
The Thunder improved to 18-2 on the season following the loss and continued their flawless postseason record of avoiding back-to-back defeats.
The Thunder’s defense, was relentless in Game 2. Aggressive rotations and disciplined switches stifled Indiana’s ball movement and rhythm, cutting off the passing lanes that had led to Tyrese Haliburton’s heroics in the opener.
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The Thunder even the series, 1-1
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“[Our defense] is where it starts,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who once again led all scorers with 34 points. “They’re a high-powered offense. If you don’t get stops, you end up running all night and they can beat you that way.”
This time, Gilgeous-Alexander had ample help. Oklahoma’s bench made a crucial impact, with Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins chipping in 20 and 18 points respectively.
For Indiana, Haliburton led with 17 points but never truly looked in control. The Pacers have yet to see any player eclipse the 20-point mark in either game, a stat that speaks volumes about the Thunder’s defensive discipline as well as Indiana’s offensive struggles.
“A bad first half, obviously, was a big problem,” admitted Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. “We just played poorly. A little better in the second half. But you can’t be a team that’s reactive and expect to be successful or have consistency.”
The Thunder led by double digits for much of the night and outscored Indiana in each of the first three quarters, entering the final period with a 20-point cushion. Unlike Game 1, there was no collapse, just mature game management and an unrelenting defensive effort.
With the series now tied, the Finals shift to Indiana for Game 3 on Wednesday night. After a split in Oklahoma, both teams will know the stakes are only getting higher from here.
