Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP efficiency keys Recreation 2 win

OKLAHOMA CITY — There’s a sense of inevitability about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring potential.

“You possibly can mark down 34 factors earlier than they even get on the airplane tomorrow for the subsequent recreation,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle stated after Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 within the Thunder’s series-tying 123-107 win in Sunday’s Recreation 2 of the NBA Finals. “The man’s going to attain. We have got to seek out methods to make it as robust as potential on him.”

Indiana had relative success in that difficult mission when the Pacers stole Recreation 1. Gilgeous-Alexander completed with 38 factors in Thursday’s contest, however he was a quantity scorer, capturing 14-of-30 with solely three assists.

He responded Sunday with the kind of environment friendly dominance that earned Gilgeous-Alexander his first MVP award this season, when he led the NBA in scoring with 32.7 factors per recreation on 51.9% capturing. Gilgeous-Alexander was 11-of-21 from the ground and 11-of-12 from the foul line in Recreation 2, constantly carving up the Pacers’ protection off the dribble in scoring all however one in every of his buckets within the paint or from midrange.

“I am being myself,” stated Gilgeous-Alexander, whose 72 factors within the sequence are essentially the most by a participant in his first two Finals video games, surpassing Corridor of Famer Allen Iverson in 2001 by a degree. “I do not assume I attempted to reinvent the wheel or step as much as the plate with a special mindset. Simply attempt to assault the sport the suitable method. I feel I’ve accomplished a reasonably good job of that to this point.”

It was Gilgeous-Alexander’s twelfth 30-point recreation throughout these playoffs, surpassing Kevin Durant in 2014 for essentially the most in franchise postseason historical past.

“Yeah, unsurprising at this level,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault stated. “It is simply form of what he does. He simply continues to progress and enhance and rise to each event that he places himself in and that we put ourselves in.”

Gilgeous-Alexander’s passing additionally introduced issues for the Pacers. He registered eight assists within the victory. On a number of events, his decisive passes out of double-teams started stunning sequences of ball motion that led to wide-open seems for his teammates.

“He is simply getting higher and higher, which could be very spectacular,” stated Thunder co-star Jalen Williams, who tallied 19 factors and 5 assists. “Clearly, he is the MVP of the league. For him to proceed to get higher is nice. He simply trusts us to make performs.

“I feel when your greatest participant is on the market and he trusts you to make a play, it simply provides you extra confidence. He understands that. I feel that is one of many roles he is gotten actually good at and grown at, and it simply makes our group higher.”

Gilgeous-Alexander dished out the ball for assists to seven completely different teammates. That included 3-point baskets by six completely different gamers.

“It simply exhibits his willingness to create for different guys,” stated Thunder ahead Aaron Wiggins, who put up 18 factors in 21 minutes off the bench and went 5-of-8 from 3-point vary. “Clearly, everybody sees the factors and the way straightforward it could be for him to go on the market and get 30, 40 factors. When he is on the market sharing the ball, getting different guys concerned, that is when our group is at our greatest.”

Sunday’s outing marked Gilgeous-Alexander’s eleventh recreation throughout this playoff run with not less than 30 factors and 5 assists. In line with ESPN Analysis, that matches essentially the most by a participant throughout a single postseason, a feat LeBron James completed 3 times and Michael Jordan pulled off twice.

“He is MVP for a cause,” Pacers middle Myles Turner stated of Gilgeous-Alexander. “He will get off, and I feel that we accepted that. It is a matter of slowing him down and limiting the position gamers. A number of of their guys stepped up tonight.”

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged a career-best 6.4 assists per recreation this season. He has bumped that as much as 6.8 through the playoffs.

“The scoring and effectivity will get plenty of shine, however he is actually steadily improved as a playmaker,” Daigneault stated.

As Gilgeous-Alexander views it, that improvement was essential to pursue his purpose of profitable a championship.

“Nobody-man present achieves what I am making an attempt to realize with this recreation,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “All of the stats and the numbers, they’re enjoyable. I do not play in house as a lot as I do with out having them on the market. I do not get open as a lot as I do with out having the screeners on the market. Whether or not it is a slide-out or a set, these guys are the rationale why we’re nearly as good of a group as we’re. I simply add to it.

“The way in which I see it, I had no selection. They’re prepared for the second, as I knew they’d be, and so they carried out.”