Story by
Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander opens up about ‘punches thrown’ in Game 2 win
- Story by
- Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander opens up about ‘punches thrown’ in Game 2 win
The post Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander opens up about 'punches thrown' in Game 2 win appeared first on ClutchPoints .
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder fans watched their team avenge Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers ' shocking Game 1 victory with a 123-107 blowout win led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 2. Haliburton's game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left in the series opener topped a 12-3 Pacers run that erased a 15-point deficit. Led by Gilgeous-Alexander's 34 points and four steals, the Thunder responded on both ends of the floor.
Advertisement
Gilgeous-Alexander says the blowout win is a testament to the Thunder's focus. The desire to avoid trailing the Pacers 2-0 before heading back on the road for Game 3 forced his team to dial into the game plan and stick with it for as close to 48 minutes as possible.
"You have to stay focused on the task at hand. Now, whatever that may be, for your team, and how you want to attack them, or go about the gameplan, but you have to lock in, and stay focused," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Even tonight, you had some moments of slippage. You're not going to be perfect out there, but it goes without saying that to make it this far into the season, it's going to take a supreme level of focus to reach the ultimate goal.
"And they're a display of that at the highest form. They play a full 48 minutes, and you can't just throw the first punch. You have to throw all the punches all night, and that's what we did. We threw enough punches tonight to get the W," Gilgeous-Alexander concluded.
Gilgeous-Alexander's 34 points led five Thunder players in double figures, including reserve guards Alex Caruso (20) and Aaron Wiggins (18), who combined for 38 points on 12-of-22 shooting, including 9-of-16 from deep. Wiggins drained five of the Thunder's 14 threes on the night.
Advertisement
Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams finished with 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists, and Chet Holmgren added 15 points, six rebounds, and one block in Oklahoma City's 16-point win.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sets NBA Finals record in Thunder win
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander set an NBA Finals record in Game 2's 123-107 win against the Pacers. He scored 30+ points for the second consecutive game in this year's Finals, combining for a whopping 72 points in Games 1 and 2.
Gilgeous-Alexander surpassed Hall of Fame guard Allen Iverson, who combined for 71 points in his first two games of his NBA Finals debut against the Lakers in 2001. Iverson scored 48 points in Game 1 before scoring 23 in Game 2. Gilgeous-Alexander turned in a pair of 30+ point performances as the series shifts to Indianapolis for Game 3 on Wednesday.
Related: NBA rumors: Bulls could've gotten more from Alex Caruso-Josh Giddey trade
Related: Skip Bayless drops harsh Pacers take after Game 2 loss to Thunder
