OKLAHOMA CITY — As Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren checked out for the last time, the star trio was met with loud applause by the OKC crowd. Seeing the third-stringers play out the final minutes has been a growing tradition this year.

The Oklahoma City Thunder enjoyed a 123107 Game 2 win over the Indiana Pacers. The 2025 NBA Finals are now tied at 1-1 through the first two games. That’s despite the latter only holding the lead for a little under two minutes in 96 minutes.

“I just thought we were the aggressor tonight for much of the game, even when we had a lead. I thought the guys did a really good job of keeping the foot on the gas, especially defensively,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “I thought we really amped it up on that end of the floor. There were a couple of times where we got off track on both ends, but we were able to course correct pretty quickly.”

Much like Game 1, the Thunder had a strong start. They held a 26-20 lead after the first quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander played within the flow and Holmgren already exceeded his first game production in just the opening frame. While the vibes were good, the Pacers stuck around.

The Thunder then created space on the scoreboard. An extended 35-9 run ballooned their lead to 23 points. This time, the bench added to the advantage. Alex Caruso put fear in the heart of Indiana. Aaron Wiggins’ shot creation was unreal. And Kenrich Williams was a surprise wildcard who stepped up. Even Isaiah Hartenstein looked better off the bench as the Thunder ran their double-big lineup.

The Thunder scored 33 points in the frame. They entered halftime with a 59-41 lead. Not bad. Maybe it could’ve been more. The Pacers had a 10-0 run in the second quarter to keep it within distance. But a near-20point lead is a truer tale of how these first two games have played out.

If they wanted another miracle, the Pacers needed a quick start. Time was running out. Instead, the Thunder were fine with exchanging buckets. Indiana never seriously threatened to make a historic comeback ala Game 1. OKC scored 34 points in the third frame to create a 93-74 advantage.

From that point on, the Thunder were cool going back and forth. Whenever Aaron Nesmith made a ridiculous outside shot, Gilgeous-Alexander sliced through Indiana’s defense on the other end. No last-second shenanigans were left for the Pacers.

Don’t tell that to the OKC crowd, though. Tyrese Haliburton’s Game 1 game-winner traumatized the fanbase. Even though the Thunder stiffarmed the Pacers on the scoreboard for the second half, any small run resulted in murmurs and whispers. They were on pins and needles and didn’t truly celebrate until the final buzzer sounded.

Both teams eventually cleared their benches. While the Pacers did their job with a road split, the Thunder have thoroughly looked like the better squad besides a late-game Game 1 meltdown. Sounds eerily similar to how the Denver Nuggets’ series played out.

The Thunder shot 49% from the field and went 14-of-36 (38.9%) from 3. They shot 29-of-33 on free throws. They had 25 assists on 40 baskets. Five Thunder players scored double-digit points.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with an efficient 34 points. Williams had 19 points and Holmgren had 15 points for nice bounceback performances. Caruso scored 20 points and Wiggins scored 18 points off the bench.

Meanwhile, the Pacers shot 45% from the field and went 14-of-40 (35%) from 3. They shot 19-of-26 on free throws. They had 27 assists on 37 baskets. Seven Pacers players scored double-digit points.

Haliburton only had 17 points and six assists. Myles Turner had 16 points and four rebounds. Pascal Siakam finished with 15 points and seven rebounds. Nesmith and Bennedict Mathurin each scored 14 points. TJ McConnell tallied 11 points and six assists.

This was how most people envisioned the NBA Finals to play out. The Thunder got off to a hot start and held a double- digit lead for most of the night. Despite that, OKC fans worried the Pacers had another comeback left in them. The scoreboard might’ve said a 15-plus point advantage, but the vibes felt like a two-possession game until both sides cleared their benches.

Even though this was a much-needed Game 2 win, the Thunder are still playing catch-up. Losing home-court advantage on a stunner will do that. They travel to Indiana with the hopes of similar success and at least splitting the road trip.

“I thought Indiana is kind of an acquired taste. We haven’t played them a ton. They’re not in the West obviously. They play a very distinct style on both ends. I felt like tonight there were a lot of things we were a little better in and more comfortable. That was on both ends of the floor,” Daigneault said. “I thought the guys did a good job of improving, which is important going from Game 1 to Game 2.”

The Thunder travel to Indiana Wednesday for game 3. The series is tied 1-1. The game has a tip off of 7:30 p.m.

The Texas Longhorn softball team celebrates after defeating Texas Tech 10-4 in Game 3 of the Women’s College World Series championship series on Friday night to claim its first national title.

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