Thunder beat Pacers in Game 2 to level NBA Finals 2025: Live updates and reaction – The Athletic – The New York Times

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Just like Game 1, the Oklahoma City Thunder spent nearly all of Game 2 with a sizeable lead over the Indiana Pacers. Unlike Game 1, the Thunder were able to see out the win, and this time without much drama.
After Tyrese Haliburton’s go-ahead shot with 0.3 seconds left gave the Pacers a stunning win in Game 1, Indiana couldn’t get any closer than within 15 points during the fourth quarter of Game 2.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all players with 34 points and eight assists on 11-21 shooting plus 11-12 at the free-throw line. Jalen Williams added 19 points, Alex Caruso scored 20 points off the bench, and Aaron Wiggins even pitched in with 18 points, making five 3s. Tyrese Haliburton paced Indiana with 17 points.
Game 3 is Wednesday night as the series shifts to Indiana.
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Thunder dominate Pacers in Game 2 to even NBA Finals
Oklahoma City finally got some others to join the party in Game 2.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been dominant from the opening tip of the NBA Finals, but the biggest difference between Game 1 and Game 2 of this series is the contribution the Thunder got from their complementary pieces in Sunday’s one-sided win. The Thunder needed to get a bigger contribution from the two non-SGA stars on the roster — Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren — after both were heavily scrutinized due to their lackluster shooting performances in the first game of the series.
They responded the way great players are expected to in must-win situations, and they swung the game using their activity on both ends of the floor. Williams had 19 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Holmgren added 15 points and six rebounds.
But they weren’t even the most noteworthy non-SGA Thunder performers Sunday. Alex Caruso scored 20 points off the bench. Aaron Wiggins chipped in 18 points of his own from the bench. Kenrich Williams even gave the team a spark during his energetic five-minute stretch in the first half. With more threats on the floor, it took the pressure off Gilgeous-Alexander to be the sole shot creator in half-court situations, which opened the floodgates for everyone else.
Gilgeous-Alexander also did a great job of making sure everyone else got touches, so the ball moved much better than it did in Game 1. With a better flow on offense, it created open shots on the perimeter, and the Pacers struggled to respond once shots started going down for OKC.
For the first time in this series, the Thunder looked like the deeper team and the team that was much more capable of creating shots whenever they felt like it. If the Thunder can keep the role players involved the way they were in Game 2, and if those players keep knocking down shots at a relatively high rate, it will be tough for the Pacers for the rest of the series.
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The supporting cast around Haliburton and Siakam, namely the Pacers’ other three starters, carried the bulk of the weight for this team in their Game 2 loss. Aaron Nesmith, Myles Turner and Andrew Nembhard combined for 41 points on 15-of-30 from the field and 6-of-17 from 3-point range, 12 rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Bennedict Mathurin even chipped in 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting.
Siakam and Haliburton just didn’t hold up their end of the bargain as Indiana’s marquee players. While the box score might suggest otherwise for both, as far as points, rebounds and assists, the two were a combined minus-20 Sunday. Siakam shot just 3-of-11 from the field and 1-of-4 from distance.
And Haliburton, who did lead the Pacers in scoring with 17 points, managed just three of those in the first half. Although Haliburton tallied 14 points in the final 24 minutes, the majority of those came with the game seemingly out of reach for Indiana. Ultimately for Haliburton in Game 2, it was too little too late.
This version of the duo simply wasn’t, and frankly won’t be, enough to beat this version of the Thunder playing at this level.
It’s on Siakam and Haliburton to set the tone for this team as soon as the ball tips, which neither player successfully did in Game 2. While Haliburton and his Indiana squad heads back to Gainbridge with a series split and should feel generally confident in their chances, it’s paramount for Haliburton and Siakam to get rolling earlier on in games.
The more attention that duo draws offensively, the easier life becomes for players around them. Although the supporting cast was able to pull its weight, that job would be made less difficult if Indiana’s two most dynamic players came out with force and aggression on the offensive end from the jump in Game 3 and beyond.
After a rough Game 1, Cason Wallace got the start again in Game 2 and his impact was felt.
He had the highest +/- of all the Thunder's starters at +12 in 23 minutes. The next-highest was a tie between SGA and Jalen Williams at +5.
Wallace scored four points on 2-4 shooting, adding three boards, two steals and a block.
Both Rick Carlisle and Myles Turner have mentioned the home crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Wednesday’s game being important.
The Oklahoma City crowd was LOUD.
Games with at least 10 made field goals AND at least 10 made free throws, 2025 postseason:
Gilgeous-Alexander is the first player to make at least 10 field goals and at least 10 free throws in a Finals game since Milwaukee Bucks champion Giannis Antetokounmpo did it three times in the 2021 Finals against the Phoenix Suns.
Tk K.: Thankfully the heavens didn’t flip upside down and we won this one. Again, still disappointed with Game 1 – if we win that either by scoring more or defending a few possessions better, we’d be up 2-0 not 1-1. Here’s to us staying strong for Game 3.
Mr. Basketball G: Tyrese Haliburton needs to learn from this game: get involved earlier, don’t just wait til the fourth quarter.
Mark M.: It matters a lot to two very good franchises, but nationally this is a dog.
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Oklahoma City 123, Indiana 107
In Kenrich Williams' 7:37 of action in Game 2, the Thunder outscored the Pacers 24-9.
This is especially impressive considering he shot just one shot and was scoreless.
With tonight being a struggle from the Pacers starters, T.J. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin provided a spark for Indiana.
McConnell scored 11 points in 18 minutes, going 5-7 from the field and making a 3 for the second consecutive game. Mathurin scored 14 points in 22 minutes, getting to the line seven times. Despite averaging just 16.1 minutes per game during these playoffs, he is shooting 4.1 free throws per game.
Pascal Siakam spoke about his team's struggles after the game: “We’re not happy with how the game went today and that’s it. We just gotta turn the page and focus on Game 3.”
He adds that Oklahoma City was successful at being disruptive tonight.
Tyrese Haliburton just walked into his postgame presser with a visible limp.
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After winning Eastern Conference finals MVP, Pascal Siakam is off to a slower start in the NBA Finals.
The 31-year-old scored 15 points on 3-11 shooting tonight, going 8-9 from the free throw line, though he did add seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
Overall, he is averaging 17 points per game on 38.5 percent shooting over the first two games of the series.
The Oklahoma City Thunder five-man starting lineup outscored the Indiana Pacers 21-19 in eight minutes of Game 2.
All other Thunder five-man lineups outscored the Pacers by 14 points in 40 minutes.
The Thunder outscored the Pacers 11-7 in five minutes with Holmgren/Hartenstein sharing the floor. At least one of those two were on the floor for the entire game until 2:42 left in the fourth quarter, when the Thunder were up 17.
The Indiana Pacers five-man starting lineup outscored the Oklahoma City Thunder 41-39 in 16 minutes of Game 2.
All other Pacers five-man lineups were outscored by 18 points in 32 minutes.
Rick Carlisle on the Pacers’ performance in Game 2: “You can't be a team that's reactive and expect to be successful or have consistency…”
The Pacers made 14 3s tonight after making 18 3s in Game 1.
When the Pacers make 15+ 3s, they are 8-0 this postseason. When they don't, they're 5-5.
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After both players struggled in Game 1, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren met the moment in Game 2.
Holmgren was aggressive early, both looking for his shot and attacking the rim. He finished with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting, grabbed six boards and had one block. Williams struggled shooting the ball again but still impacted the game with his aggression. He scored 19 points despite shooting just 5-of-14 from the field because he got to the line nine times, making eight.
"We were the aggressor tonight for much of the game," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said after Oklahoma City's win.
It is now a best of five in the NBA Finals! And the Indiana Pacers have home court advantage until further notice.
The 2024-25 NBA season has a maximum of exactly two weeks left. A Game 7 would be on Sunday, June 22.

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