What We Learned From Game 2 of the NBA Finals: Thunder Find Their Groove, Pacers Face Reality

June 8, 2025

Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Finals was the Thunder’s turn to deliver a message, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made sure it was heard loud and clear.

After Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers stole Game 1 in Oklahoma City, the Thunder came out in Game 2 looking every bit like a team that learned its lesson. They responded with a 123-107 win, evening the series at 1-1 as things shift to Indiana.

So what did we learn? Let’s dive in.

1. SGA Remains the Best Player in the Series

The Thunder’s MVP candidate looked like just that. This time, he didn’t need 30 shots to get to 30+ points. Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 34 on just 21 shots, knocking down 11 of them and going 11-for-12 from the free-throw line. He added eight assists, countless smart reads, and made the Pacers pay every time they doubled.

Simply put, when SGA is in full control like this, the Thunder become nearly impossible to beat.

2. Pacers Still Go as Haliburton Goes

Haliburton hit the game-winner in Game 1. He had no such magic in Game 2. He finished with 17 points, six assists, five turnovers, and looked mostly out of sync until a few buckets late in the fourth. Oklahoma City has done a stellar job disrupting his rhythm, and Indiana has suffered because of it.

Haliburton has just 31 points across the first two games, and the Pacers have been outscored by 22 points in the 23 minutes he’s been off the floor this series. That’s your ballgame.

3. Depth Is Swinging the Series

This was supposed to be one of Indiana’s biggest advantages. It hasn’t been.

When Haliburton sat at the end of the first quarter, the Thunder led 21-20. By the time he returned in the second, OKC had stretched it to 40-27, and SGA was on the bench, too. That’s the difference between good depth and Finals-ready depth.

Aaron Wiggins (18 points) came off the bench and looked right at home. Indiana’s reserves? Not so much.

4. The Thunder’s Defense Is … My Gosh

Oklahoma City’s defense is amazing and maybe still doesn’t get enough credit. They made Indiana’s top-ranked offense look pedestrian in the first half, holding them to just 41 points and 35% shooting. The Thunder switch, rotate, and contest with purpose — and it’s thrown the Pacers completely out of rhythm.

They’ve also bottled up Haliburton better than anyone all postseason. That’s not a coincidence.

5. Game 3 Is the Real Test for Indy

We’re going to learn a lot about these Pacers on Wednesday.

Home crowd? Check. Two days off? Check. Desperate to avoid a 2-1 hole? You bet.

But they’ll need more than just a Haliburton bounce-back. They need everyone to step up, and Rick Carlisle to adjust the rotations so the Thunder don’t run wild during those non-Haliburton stretches.

Indiana reached the NBA Finals as a team. If they want to stick around, they’ll need to win Game 3 as one.