The Oklahoma City Thunder dropped Game 1 of the NBA Finals to the Indiana Pacers after the Pacers pulled off yet another stunning fourth-quarter comeback to erase a double-digit deficit.
League-MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was not about to let the Thunder go down 0-2 in their own building.
“You can mark down 34 points before they even get on the plane tomorrow for the next game,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 in Game 2 to tie the series, according to ESPN. “The guy’s going to score. We’ve got to find ways to make it as tough as possible on him.”
“I’m being myself,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game. “I don’t think I tried to reinvent the wheel or step up to the plate with a different mindset. Just try to attack the game the right way. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that so far.”
Gilgeous-Alexander’s teammates noted that the MVP is only getting better.
“He’s just getting better and better, which is very impressive,” Jalen Williams said after a 19-point performance of his own. “Obviously, he’s the MVP of the league. For him to continue to get better is good. He just trusts us to make plays.
“I think when your best player is out there and he trusts you to make a play, it just gives you more confidence. He understands that. I think that’s one of the roles he’s gotten really good at and grown at, and it just makes our team better.”
Now, Gilgeous-Alexander will have to get it done in a hostile Gainbridge Fieldhouse for games 3 and 4.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.