The Oklahoma City Thunder evened the NBA Finals on Sunday night, beating the Indiana Pacers 123–107. It was a full team effort with five Thunder players scoring double-digit points as OKC shook off Game 1’s stunner to get the series to 1–1 before the games shift to Indianapolis. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 34 points, and put himself in historic company in the process.
Sunday night marked SGA’s ninth consecutive home playoff game with at least 30 points. That makes him one of only two players in NBA history to score at least 30 points in nine straight home playoff games, alongside Wilt Chamberlain (per Greg Harvey of StatsPerform). Entering Game 2, Gilgeous-Alexander was tied with Michael Jordan, Jerry West and Bob Pettit with eight such straight games, according to Stathead.
It was a massive win for the Thunder and the MVP’s personal milestone serves as the cherry on top of the sundae. OKC could’ve easily still been shellshocked by Tyrese Haliburton’s crazy game-winner in Game 1 that capped off a huge comeback from Indiana. Instead, the Thunder came out and played with intentionality and intensity to ensure the series is tied entering Game 3.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge. He had a very efficient outing, shooting 11 of 21 from the field, after a Game 1 that saw him miss 16 field goal attempts. His performance on Sunday set the tone early and steadied the Thunder just about every time the Pacers tried to make a run.
Game 3 is set for Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET, and Sunday’s win guarantees Gilgeous-Alexander a shot at breaking Chamberlain’s record by scoring 30 points in 10 straight home playoff games.
