OKLAHOMA CITY — Kumamada si NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ng 34 points habang may 20 markers si Alex Caruso mula sa bench sa 123-107 pagresbak ng Thunder sa Indiana Pacers sa Game 2 at itabla sa 1-1 ang kanilang NBA Finals series.
Nag-ambag si Jalen Williams ng 19 points para sa OKC at may 18 at 15 markers sina Aaron Wiggins at Chet Holmgren, ayon sa pagkakasunod.
“We did some things good tonight. We did some things bad,” pahayag ni Gilgeous-Alexander. “We’ve got to be able to get better and be ready for Game 3.”
Sinabi ni coach Mark Daigneault na kailangan nilang bumangon mula sa 110-111 kabiguan sa Game 1 para hindi mahulog sa isang 0-2 butas sa kanilang best-of-seven championship series.
“That’s a long 48 hours when you lose Game 1 like that, coming into Game 2,” ani Daigneault. “The guys did a great job of just focusing on what we needed to do to stack to a win tonight. That’s how we got it.”
Binanderahan ni Tyrese Haliburton ang Indiana sa kanyang 17 points at may 16 markers si Myles Turner habang may 15 points si Pascal Siakam.
Dadalhin ang Game 3 sa Indianapolis sa Huwebes.
Kaagad nagtayo ang Thunder ng double digit lead sa first half na nahirapang putulin ng Pacers sa second half.
“A bad first half, obviously, was a big problem,” ani Indiana coach Rick Carlisle. “And 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.”
Ang 19-2 bomba ng Thunder sa second quarter ang nagbigay sa kanila ng 23-point lead mula sa isang six-point game.
Isang 10-0 atake ang inilunsad ng Pacers para makalapit sa 39-52.
Sa pamumuno ni Gilgeous-Alexander ay muling lumayo ang Oklahoma City sa third period at hindi na bumitaw sa kanilang double-digit lead sa fourth quarter.