All Basketball news

And just like that, the Oklahoma City Thunder sit at the top of the NBA world, and they are NBA Champions most of all. Oklahoma City roared with a massive swing in the third quarter to take control of Game 7 at home, closing a game that saw them down by a point at halftime even after Tyrese Haliburton went down with an injury. It was all Thunder after that as lightning struck and kept on banging and hounding the Indiana Pacers as they pulled away to finish Game 7 with an exclamation point. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the Finals MVP – after having won the scoring title, season MVP, and the WCF MVP awards on top of the championship. He finished with 29 points, 12 assists, and five assists to lead Oklahoma City to a massive victory en route to their first league title. It was a picture perfect finish for the Thunder, and they certainly carried the momentum counting to the final seconds of the game. Fans celebrated with time running out of the game clock, knowing that after 17 years of wait, Oklahoma City now has its own NBA Championship to celebrate ever since the franchise competed at a high level for many years. A Dominant Finish OKC owned the third quarter thanks to a 34-20 scoring margin, and they built a massive 22-point lead at most in the second half. Indiana was leading 48-47 to start off the second half, and OKC went on a massive rally, first to retake the lead, and then cooked the rest of the way. The Pacers did try to stage a comeback of their own without Haliburton, who went down in the first quarter with a right lower leg injury. He finished with nine points and was 3-of-4 from three before he left Game 7 and did not return for the rest of the game. OKC never let up and showed that their magical season will not end with a blown lead and a missed chance at a championship. Jalen Williams added 20 points, while Chet Holmgren finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks. The Thunder only had 11 threes – just the same as Indiana, but they were spectacular on the defensive end and rallied the crowd well behind them for a strong closeout finish. A Historic Season For most of the season, Oklahoma City was the best defensive team in the league, and for good reason. They have registered 10.2 steals per 100 possessions, the highest rate for any team in the last 12 seasons. Their 10.7 steals per 100 possessions in the playoffs were the most for any team that played beyond the first round in the last 26 years. In Game 7? The Thunder forced 21 turnovers and scored 32 points off them – the usual game for OKC. They also had 14 steals on that regard, along with eight blocks. It was the defense that carried them to the Finals, and it is only fitting that it would also be the same thing that now took them to a title finish. Nothing has been easy, and yet the Thunder strongly persevered as the second-youngest team to ever win a championship, and this is a storybook finish for the team to remember as they now etch their names in the history of the NBA.

The series isn't over just yet. With backs behind the walls, and odds stacked against them, the Indiana Pacers delivered a massive haymaker with their season on the line. What could have been a tough end to the season now extends to the two biggest words in sports – Game 7. Indiana pounded and hounded both ends of the floor to ensure that there will be no avalanches on their home floor, routing the fabled Oklahoma City team that has been dominant for the whole season. After suffering back-to-back losses in Games 4 and 5, the Pacers made sure that they won't lose a third time around, and not suffer consecutive losses at home. Instead of an early offseason break, the Pacers are headed back to OKC for a chance in a winner-take-all Game 7. It is worth noting that it will also be the first Game 7 since the 2016 NBA Finals – another spectacular finish between two historic teams. Pacers Stay Alive Indiana has battled against the odds all season, and this one was not new to them. It did, however, have bigger implications considering that their season is on the line. The team ended up with six players in double figures, with Obi Toppin scoring the most points for the team with 20. No other player in the squad reach more than 20 points, showing how incredible this massive Indiana team is when it comes to scoring on a balanced attack. Tyrese Haliburton, who was suffering from a left calf strain, still managed to play and put up an impressive performance with 15 points and knocked down three threes. Pascal Siakam banked in on his experience in the Finals, dropping 16 points and 13 rebounds to go along with a huge poster slam on Jalen Williams. Indiana trailed by eight early after a strong start by the Thunder. But after drilling a few threes, the Pacers would go on to take over the game as they went on multiple runs, including 30-9 to finish the first half and was up by 24 points. Both teams started slow in the second half, but a layup by Haliburton kickstarted yet another massive run by the Pacers as they finished the third with a 30-point lead, capped off by a buzzer-beating three that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Game 7 in the Midst With OKC waving the white flag to begin the fourth quarter, it was clear that the Thunder were leaning to finish the series at home instead. It was a dismal performance from the best team in the league, who had every chance to make Game 6 interesting when Indiana struggled to hit from the field. With the win, the Pacers stay perfect in Game 6s played these playoffs. However, it is worth noting that the Thunder are 3-0 all-time in Game 7s played at home, and has won its latest Game 7 when it blasted the Denver Nuggets in the West Semis. The last time a Game 7 was played in the NBA Finals, it was the culmination of the historic comeback of the Cleveland Cavaliers from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors – who had a majestic season of a league-best 73-9 record. LeBron James led the Cavaliers to complete the comeback. Now with another Game 7 looming, it seems that we are headed for a massive finish in the biggest stage of the game.

After leading by as many as 18 points, the Oklahoma City Thunder saw their lead evaporate to just two at 95-93 with 8:30 to play in the fourth. The Indiana Pacers managed to hang around, before Jalen Williams drilled a three after two misses from OKC, eventually kickstarting a huge rally to finish strong for the Thunder’s 120-109 win in a pivotal Game 5. J-Dub dropped 40 points, including a superb fourth quarter where he nailed 11 points on 50% shooting. He finished with 56% shooting overall, including an efficient 60% shooting from three. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 31 points, 10 assists, four blocks, and two steals, and OKC pulled away when it needed most. Now, the Thunder are set to return to Indiana for a chance to close out the series on the road. They are one win away from a title since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008. After a very long road, OKC is gunning its chances as the team now seeks to put the series to bed. However, it is going to be a tough challenge as they will battle a desperate Pacers squad on the road. A Historic Night For OKC J-Dub was on fire right from the start, fueling the energy and level of play that the Thunder played for the whole game. OKC was dominant right from the jump and found ways to grind out to explode for an 18-point lead at most. Indiana kept fighting back, but it was Williams who found the best shots to stabilize the Thunder’s pace and keep Indiana from making a deep push. Nothing was easy, but Williams knocked down 14 field goals – in a game just a few days after he had two bad falls that would have taken a toll on his level of play at this point. Instead, Williams came up with a statement game, and showed that he can win big for the Thunder. Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander were lighting and thunder in this win, combining for 71 points to lead the way. The star duo also was the second pair of teammates to drop 40 and 30 in a single game since LeBron James and Kyrie Irving did in the 2017 NBA Finals. Talk about being in elite company on the biggest stage of the game. Haliburton Missing? Tyrese Haliburton was held to just five field goal attempts in the first half of the game and had zero points. He finished 0-of-6 and only had four points coming off the charity stripe. He did have seven rebounds and six assists but was -13 as well. The Pacers guard also had three turnovers and three fouls. Without Haliburton breathing life into the Pacers’ offense, Indiana could only hang back, with Pascal Siakam leading the way with 28 points and TJ McConnell pushing for 18 points off the bench. No other Indiana player had more than 15 points. The team committed a total of 22 turnovers in the loss and shot 36.7% from three. With their backs against the wall, the Pacers now have one last chance to save their season as they return to Indianapolis in Game 6. It can be remembered that the Thunder managed to claim a massive win last time in Gainbridge Fieldhouse that led to the 2-2 tie. Now it seems that OKC is raring to make a deep push this time and win it all.

After what has been a blazing finish in Game 4, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers now move on to a best-of-three series in this showdown of the 2025 NBA Finals. However, this will be a must-win for both sides, as whoever wins Game 5 may end up being the one in full control for the rest of the series. It is worth noting that there are a total of 40 times that a team that ended up with a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals went on to win the series. Nine of those that have gone 2-3 have managed to reverse it and win the series. That is a stunning 81.6% rating in the Finals, which just spices up the implications as it means that both teams will have to come up with elite performances to finish strong in Game 5. After all, nothing has been easy in the last four games. Fans have been treated to three clutch finishes, and the most recent one just showed that both teams have what it takes to go down to the wire. This just means that fans should look out for the intense spectacle that will take place in Paycom Center. Can the Pacers Win on the Road? Much has been asked of the Pacers in this series, but it is the fact that they can win on the road that has given them a massive chance to win big in most of the postseason. They have taken down massive giants one series after another, but it seems that this clash with the Thunder has hit them differently. At this point, Indiana walks in with a 7-3 record on hostile territory. The Pacers have been praised for being able to deter the massive pressure of playing against hostile crowds, beating higher-seeded teams, and defying the odds time and time again. Still, the Pacers are a massive threat, and this heart-pounding clash will not write itself without the Eastern Conference Champions bringing in the fight. “Stay in the moment,” said Pacers center Myles Turner, explaining the road approach. “It’s a hostile environment, and, in the end, this is what you dream of, playing in these environments with the highest stakes possible. I think that’s really what it is. We come together when moments get tough and just figure it out.” The Eye of the Storm The Thunder are a real threat at home, flexing a 9-2 record for the entire 2025 Playoffs. This says a lot about how the pressure rises on its opponents heading into Game 5. Paycom Center has earned a massive reputation for being loud – and it has intimidated visiting teams, while the Thunder roared along with its crowd whenever they come up with those fabled avalanches of scoring bursts. After all, OKC has won with a point differential of +21.5 at home this postseason. They have logged massive wins of 51 points (vs Memphis), 32 points (vs Denver) and 30 points (vs Minnesota) against three different teams in the West. Against the Pacers? A 16-point win in Game 2. Oklahoma City has found itself standing against adversity time and time again, and it is easy to say that the team has always endured and managed to claw its way back. They have done so again when they won in Game 4 on the road after being down 2-1. However, it is clear that this Game 5 is a must-win for the team, and they are not letting a chance to go up 3-1 pass by them.

After that tough loss in Game 2, the Indiana Pacers made use of home-court advantage as they rallied to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder with a crucial scoring stretch in the fourth quarter. Pacers come out on top with a 116-107 win, but most of all, a 2-1 series lead with still one more game to play in front of their home crowd. The Thunder led by 89-84 entering the fourth quarter, but the Pacers were undaunted by those leads – as they have been in the entire postseason. Indiana hammered and outscored OKC, 32-18 in the closing frame to put the game to bed, hampering the team on both ends of the floor all the way to the final buzzer. Fans in Indiana celebrated as they went on to win their first NBA Finals home game since 2000, which says a lot about the passionate fanbase that has its crowd roaring for most of the game. It was a blast, and now the Pacers are moving two wins away from their first NBA title with the hopes of showing that they can prove their worth as a dominant team in the league. A Pacers Burst As expected, Tyrese Haliburton stepped up his level of play after scoring just 31 points combined in the first two games. He flirted with a triple-double of 22 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds – and Indiana improved to a 20-1 record whenever he goes for 20+ points and 10+ assists for the team. But what made him more lethal was his ability to dictate the pace of the game, which certainly happened for most of the night. Pascal Siakam scored 21 points and nine boards, but it was the explosive bench performance from Bennedict Mathurin that proved to be the difference. The guard dropped 27 points in 22 minutes, along with TJ McConnell scoring 10 points that felt like more with the way he has impacted the game. The Thunder looked lost for most of the game and could not find answers to the surging Indiana offense, which is certainly the best that the game has seen since January. OKC did try to come up with some runs of their own, but the Pacers always clapped back and poked holes in the majestic OKC defense. The Bench Battle Indiana’s strength rests in its depth aside from its star power. In this Game 3 win, the Pacers outscored OKC in bench points at 49-18. That is a huge difference considering that both teams have been always lauded for having a deep rotation. However, the difference was that Indiana was playing at home – which was always a factor in bench performance. McConnell finished with five assists and five steals as well. Three of those steals came from the Thunder inbounding the ball. No player has ever managed to do that in an NBA Finals game, so the guard has certainly earned his spotlight. It is also the first time that we have seen the most points by a player off the bench with Mathurin dropping 27. The last time we saw an elite performance from a bench player was by Jason Terry back in 2011 against the Miami Heat. The bench battle has been the deciding factor for the series so far, and Indiana has won them twice, and now holds a 2-1 series lead.

Oklahoma City started out strong and then kept its foot on the gas for the rest of the game as they came back from a disappointing loss in Game 1. OKC was not slowing down this time, and they made sure that they would not blow another colossal lead in the fourth quarter as they claimed their first win in the NBA Finals – the team’s first since the 2012 edition. The Thunder controlled pretty much everything in the game, and it was seen as the perfect answer from a team that has never lost the second game after a loss. OKC has gone 6-0 in that regard and has now evened up the series – an impressive outing that showed their massive potential as the youngest team in the league. OKC’s big three of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren combined for 67 points, and they are starting to meet the moment with the elite level that many fans and critics are looking for. Now that the series is shifting to Indiana, there’s a lot of pressure for the West champions to prove that they are actually born to play in the moment. So, What Changed? OKC was certainly looking for a lot of answers following that tough finish in Game 1. Is Cason Wallace starting the game? Retained. OKC playing with a strong pace? Still the same. Is Indiana turning the ball over a lot? Nope, not this time. The turnover battle was still won by the Thunder, but it was just by two. Oklahoma City did, however, win the points in the paint at 42-34, and so is the battle of the glass – controlling the boards at 43-35. Everything was going right for the team, and it worked well for the team as they now tied the series at one apiece. They narrowly avoided an 0-2 hole, and that’s what the best team in the league has done so far. Game 1 showed Indiana’s depth and promising level of play, but OKC dominated them and did not allow any Pacers player to score more than 18 points. Tyrese Haliburton had 17 points, but he was only five points at the half. The Thunder’s bench, however, was blazing hot with Alex Caruso scoring 20 points and Aaron Wiggins finishing with 18. Everything was in favor of OKC, and they did not hold back to come up with some of the most impressive performances in the NBA Finals. A Sen-Shai-Tional Night Speaking of a promising Finals performance, SGA was all over the place in the Thunder’s win. After putting up 38 points in Game 1, the 2025 MVP kept the same pace and had 34 points – totaling 72 points for the first two games, which is the most in the history of the Finals. SGA did a bit of everything, he scored 34 points, eight assists, five rebounds, four steals, and a block – and his co-stars also stepped up to the plate. He is also the fourth player to have back-to-back Finals games with +30 points and more than three steals since LeBron James (2016), Dwyane Wade (2006), and Rick Barry (1975). What makes it even better is that Gilgeous-Alexander has also tied the record for most games with 30+ points and 5+ assists in a single playoff run at 11. The elite company that he runs with? LeBron James (3x) and Michael Jordan (2x). This series is shaping up to be one of the highly competitive NBA Finals clash so far, and it is definitely going to be a blast with both teams grinding it out to make the best adjustments heading to Game 3 in Indianapolis.

As expected, the Game 1 of the NBA Finals did not fail to impress in what was hyped to be the best matchup of the decade – featuring the league's best offense and the all-time best defense in a seven-game series. This time, a shocker was yet seen by fans as Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers escaped with a 111-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was a picture perfect finish. The Thunder led the whole game by as many as 15 points, and yet the Pacers managed to stick around – answering those OKC runs of their own. No one could have written a better ending. The Thunder were looming to finish strong with a 106-96 lead heading to the finish, only for Indiana to cap off a closing rally and eventually take the lead on Haliburton’s wing jumper with 0.3 seconds left to play. The Comeback Stories Continue This win by Indiana marks the third 15-point comeback mounted in the fourth quarter since 1971, and the fifth comeback by the Pacers this postseason. If you have been watching them closely, these comebacks have been their theme in the playoffs, and to see it continue down this stretch in the Finals is a testament to their grit and mindset to win it all. Indiana had no player scoring more than 20 points, and Pascal Siakam was the leading scorer with 19 points and 10 rebounds. However, their depth was on display as they had six players in double figures, and all players who logged minutes scored at least a basket. As predicted, this is a battle of depth, and OKC has flexed its own deep rotation, but only had four guys in double figures. It is safe to say that there will be a lot of adjustments to make heading into Game 2, especially with the Thunder losing homecourt advantage. OKC found their shots and even forced a season-high 26 turnovers for the Pacers, and yet they could not capitalize on those fronts. The Thunder usually come up with the scoring avalanche that the home crowd feeds off for an added energy – and that was missing tonight for Oklahoma City. The MVP Needs Help No one would have expected OKC to lose at home, considering that they were 7-1 heading into this clash. As usual, the 2025 NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went to work and was aggressive all night, dropping 38 points, five rebounds, three assists and steals apiece. However, SGA was the only player to show up well in the game. Jalen Williams had 17 points but struggled mightily, and even Chet Holmgren looked out of place in the game as he finished with six points. "It is a 48-minute game,” said SGA of the one-point loss to the Pacers. “The Indiana Pacers teach you that lesson more than anyone else in the league the hard way.” This is the Finals – a series of adjustments as said before, is needed every now and then. It is safe to say that this looks very reminiscent of the Denver series, and the Thunder went on to win that in seven games. One game after another, the Thunder have adapted, improvised, and overcame their opponents after every adjustment. This just says a lot about how this series is expected to turn out to be a long one for the Thunder as they seek to be the second-youngest team to win the NBA Finals.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers are coming for a blazing showdown in the 2025 NBA Finals, and the two historically built teams are going to be on a massive race to the finish. However, one can easily spot that both have someone mutual to thank to their respective successes. Paul George, who has been a franchise player for Indiana around his first nine years, has been able to lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals, and some legendary playoff runs as well. With Oklahoma City, George was phenomenal in reinventing himself after that freak leg injury and played at the best of his career. However, he did not go on to lead the Thunder past the first round in his brief stay. However it may look for both teams, at the end of the day, it seems that both OKC and Indiana will go down to thank PG for his contributions and how he played a huge role in rebuilding the squads. The Thunder Timeline In July 2017, the Thunder traded Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis for George, which eventually led him to play from 2017 to 2019. George eventually appeared in two postseason campaigns with OKC, only to drop both in the first round. He was definitely in the firsthand when Damian Lillard drilled that infamous “bad shot” that sent Oklahoma City to a rebuild. Of course, that would then lead the Thunder to come up with a flurry of overhauls, of which was known – the Paul George trade. The forward later ended up playing for the Los Angeles Clippers at the behest of Kawhi Leonard. The bigger story, however, is what OKC ended up getting for that trade. The Thunder received a total of five first-round draft picks and two swap picks in the first round. One of those picks ended up being Jalen Williams – who became a first-time All-Star in the 2024-25 NBA season. But what ended up as a stunning piece of that trade was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who spent his rookie season with the Clippers, only to be sent to Oklahoma City. Of course, we know all what happened with SGA. He led OKC to a 68-14 record this season, and ended up winning the season MVP award while also being the league’s scoring champion and recently the Western Conference Finals MVP. The Pacers Timeline The Indiana Pacers have very little to thank off Paul George as he was just a by-product of the trade. After that impressive 2017 Playoff run where the Pacers went to seven games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, George would go on to move on to Oklahoma City in exchange for Oladipo and Sabonis. Later, after five years of less promise on the big stage, Sabonis became a two-time All-Star but was then traded to the Sacramento Kings – in exchange for Tyrese Haliburton. Sabonis would generate just a single playoff run for the Kings, and got eliminated in the first round. The Pacers, on the other hand, have just gone for back-to-back ECF runs. Perhaps the most ironic of all these trades? George should definitely earn a ring from either team that will win the NBA Finals. As laughable as it sounds, George definitely had a hand in the building blocks and core players that eventually made these teams the contenders they are today.

When Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti said that he wanted an arrival and not just an appearance, many fans did not take it seriously. But after a short rebuild and a sudden playoff contention, the Thunder now finds itself back on the big stage of the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up an MVP performance of 34 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, and two steals. Chet Holmgren had 22 points, and Jalen Williams finished with 19. Everything fell in favor of the Thunder, and they made it look easy as fans at the Paycom Center roared out loud as the game went down to the final minute with the Thunder up by as many as 39 points. Oklahoma City would not be denied this time. On the same day that the Thunder felt that legendary Game 6 from Klay Thompson in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, today’s OKC squad toppled that history with a positive one – a demolition of the Minnesota Timberwolves as the latter could not answer any of the avalanches that the Thunder have thrown at them. A Win Right From the Start Minnesota started with a 3-0 lead in the game coming off a Julius Randle three, but then the Thunder turned on its engines and activated what they do best – the pesky defense that launched a tidal wave of runs for OKC, capped off by a buzzer-beating three by Cason Wallace to make it a 26-9 start in the first quarter. By halftime, Minnesota had more turnovers than field goals made, and that just says a lot about how dominant the OKC defense has been this season and in the playoffs. Disrupting the passing lanes, rotating well on defense and putting the pressure on the Timberwolves on any part of the floor, it was just their big game. “We just struggled to find a rhythm," Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. "Everyone was kind of trying to do it all by themselves. We lost our connectivity. But all credit to the Thunder. They certainly deserve this. They played outstanding. And we came up short in a lot of ways.” It can be remembered that OKC reeled from losing Kevin Durant back in 2016 when he signed with the Golden State Warriors. The next few years were uneasy, but OKC managed to rebuild swiftly. However, all of those were put in the back as they rallied to beat Minnesota to clinch their first Finals appearance since 2012, even after coming short in their 2016 run. The Timberwolves tried to generate some runs. But a Holmgren block on Randle leading to a dagger three by Luguentz Dort forced Finch to call timeout and wave the white flag as OKC went up 106-72 with 6:34 left to play. “Welcome Home, Chet” Back in February, Anthony Edwards dunked over Chet Holmgren in an Oklahoma City loss. That video was later posted by Minnesota, with Edwards saying “Shout out to Chet. Welcome home, baby.” Holmgren finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks on 61.5% shooting. He drilled a total of two threes and was all over the floor in the win for the Thunder. Edwards, on the other hand, struggled to score early and ended up with 19 points on 7-of-18 shooting and went 1-of-7 from three. The Thunder later posted the same video of Edwards on his social media account, even quoting Edwards on welcoming him home to his native state of Minnesota. Eventually, Holmgren had the last laugh.

Being down by 20 points on the road for the New York Knicks is something that isn’t new to the team. Alas, it proved to be real when they also overcame that same deficit this time against the Indiana Pacers – with their backs against the walls and the season dangerously on the line, the Knicks showed life when it mattered most. The Pacers have been notorious all playoffs when it comes to pulling off stunners and upsets in their games – and have done just that in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals. But before they could go on and spin up a huge finish in Game 3, The Knicks responded in the second half and went on a courageous run that saw them get back on track. This was a chance that the team had been waiting for, and now this is starting to become a series. Indiana has been in the driver’s seat this series for the first two games, and it looked like the same in Game 3 as they erupted for a 28-19 run in the second quarter. None of this was quite expected to begin with, and yet the Knicks managed to keep their cards on the table in what seems to be the most important victory of their playoff run. A Slugfest from Three No team in the Conference Finals has shot well from three in this year’s edition. Both teams in the West are shooting just close to 30% from the field, and neither have the two teams in the East has done any better. In this game, the Knicks shot 34.4% with 11 threes made off 32 attempts. The Pacers, on the other hand, struggled mightily to shoot any three-pointers as they went 5-of-25 in that stretch of Game 3. Tyrese Haliburton was off and finished with 20 points and six assists – far from his usual numbers of high-volume assists. Pascal Siakam, who had a massive Game 2 performance with 39 points, ended up with 17 points and four rebounds. No other Pacers player scored more than 20 points by the end of the game. While it was a slugfest from three, the free throws have seen a massive galore. A total of 63 shots from the charity stripe were attempted in the game, with both teams making 27 each. A Fueled Comeback New York was down heading into the fourth quarter, only to claw their way back with impressive performances from both Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson. KAT was scoring one bucket after another in the fourth before eventually cutting into the Indiana lead with his athleticism – from grinding into the paint all the way to drilling threes, it has been a big game for him with 24 points and 15 rebounds – leading all scorers in the game. Brunson, on the other hand, came alive in the closing moments of the game as he helped New York keep its small lead by the end of the game. The Clutch Player of the Year was able to convert multiple buckets down the stretch to keep Indiana from coming back as they did in the past few games. New York also played nine-deep in its roster for the first time, which was really quite a different look considering that no starter played 40 minutes of action in this game. Fatigue has been a huge factor in the Knicks’ struggles, and it seemed that they managed that well this time.

In a night where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made his new shoe colorway debut and received the Michael Jordan MVP award, Oklahoma City fans were ecstatic with a lot of celebrating as the Thunder also went on to take a 2-0 series lead in the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves following a 118-103 victory at home. Minnesota was expected to respond after that tough loss in Game 1, and yet OKC held their ground and kept the fight alive to make sure that the Timberwolves would not get a chance to steal one at Paycom Center. So far, the result has been promising, and it cannot be denied that the Thunder have really owned this series. With Games 3 and 4 set in Minnesota, OKC now looks forward for a chance to come up with impressive performances and keep the same pace as they expect the Timberwolves to pack a huge punch to at least keep their season alive. For now, fans may want to bask in the victory by the Thunder as this series may or may not, return home to OKC for another bout. A Total Struggle by Minnesota Anthony Edwards was asked to step up and be more aggressive in his second game against the Thunder after a dismal performance in Game 1. Sure, the athletic guard scored 32 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, but he shot 1-of-9 from three, and 12-for-26 overall in the game. That is a disappointing note considering that he is one of the most relentless, consistent, and elite scorers in the game. Nothing was seen from the bigs of Minnesota as well. Julius Randle was held to just six points on 2-of-11 shooting after dropping 28 points in Game 1. Rudy Gobert still struggled to find his worth on the court with just five points on five shot attempts. Naz Reid off the bench had 10 points but missed eight threes. Still, it was an impressive game of response from Jaden McDaniels (22 points) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (17 points). But Minnesota collapsed on the attack and had a lot of turnovers with 14 compared to the Thunder’s six. Even though they had more free throws made and attempted, it didn’t seem to matter at all. Oklahoma City struggled to shoot from three with just nine on 33 attempts, but neither could Minnesota take advantage of that as they shot 11-of-39 points themselves. A Big Night for OKC’s Big 3 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dominated the game in his MVP night with a career playoff-high of 38 points to go along with eight assists. However, it was the impressive contribution of Jalen Williams, who scored 26 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists – and Chet Holmgren dropping 22 points with a lot of explosive plays definitely did the trick once more. For what it is worth, the Thunder trio combined for a total of 86 points of their 118 points. Most of the stories over the course of the playoffs have been about the Thunder bench being so deep and effective, but now the night belonged to the core trio that kicked off this massive campaign that was just three years in the making. OKC now stands with a 7-1 record at home in the playoffs, and it will stay that way until either the NBA Finals, or if they drop one game on the road. After all, the goal is to steal at least one game against Minnesota on their home floor, and finish the deed at home.