After dropping Game 1 of the NBA Finals on a last-second basket by Tyrese Haliburton, the Oklahoma City Thunder needed a win in Game 2.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company delivered, taking down the Indiana Pacers 123-107 at the Paycom Center. As usual, SGA was OKC's leading scorer with 34 points, adding eight assists, five rebounds, four steals and a block.
After tallying 38 points in a loss on Friday night, Gilgous-Alexander's performance on Sunday evening put the 2024-25 league MVP at 72 points through the first two contests in the NBA Finals, passing Allen Iverson's 2000-01 total of 71 points.
Iverson, who was also named MVP in 2000-01, tallied 48 points in a Game 1 win against the Los Angeles Lakers before notching 23 points in a Game 2 loss. Iverson's 76ers would end up losing to Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in five games.
For Gilgeous-Alexander, the series' outcome obviously has not yet been determined, but the Thunder standout's performance in Game 2 helped OKC avoid slipping into a 2-0 deficit.
The three-time All-NBA honoree made a number of impressive shots to help put an end to Pacers' runs and quench Indiana's momentum at multiple points in the contest.
Gilgeous-Alexander's 34 points also put the superstar over 3,000 points for the regular season and postseason combined.
SGA is just the 12th player in NBA history to achieve that feat, joining Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Luka Doncic, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Bryant, O'Neal, Bob McAdoo, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rick Barry and Elgin Baylor.
Gilgeous-Alexander's historic season continued on Sunday night, and the MVP will need a few more solid performances in Indiana to give Oklahoma City a series advantage coming back to the Modern Frontier.
After averaging 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, five rebounds, 1.7 steals and a block per game, the 26-year-old earned his first MVP award this season after finishing as the runner-up in 2023-24. Gilgeous-Alexander's performance earned the OKC star First-Team All-NBA honors and his third All-Star appearance.
Throughout the postseason, the Kentucky product has continued his impressive campaign, averaging 30.4 points, 6.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds through 18 contests. On the biggest stage, Gilgeous-Alexander has answered the call once again, and now has an NBA record to show for it.
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