Thunders Counterpunch Strategy: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Leads Oklahoma City to 2-0 Lead in 2025 NBA Finals

In Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates put on a clinic, defeating the Indiana Pacers 123-107 to take a 2-0 series lead. Gilgeous-Alexander credited the Thunder's bounce-back performance to their willingness to not just throw the first punch, but to continue to throw all the punches all night. The most important play in the game may have been a measured counterpunch aimed squarely at the Pacers' pick-and-roll coverage. The Thunder's offense was able to generate more space in Game 2 by bringing their screeners higher up the floor and setting more picks on or at the edge of the Thunder's half-court logo, giving Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates a longer runway with which to build up a head of steam moving toward the paint. According to Synergy Sports tracking, Oklahoma City scored 63 points in Game 2 on 46 plays where either the pick-and-roll ball-handler shot or he passed to someone who shot, a scorching 1.37 points per possession. Six of Gilgeous-Alexander's eight assists came on kickouts after one of those high ball screens, as he ate up the space Indiana gave him, made the simple read and trusted his teammates to knock down the shots that clanged clear in Game 1. "Every night, you - me, personally - try to attack the defense," said Gilgeous-Alexander after scoring 34 points on 11-of-21 shooting with 8 assists against just 2 turnovers. "You try to just make the right play. You try to make them pay for what they throw at you, coverage-wise, scheme-wise." The Pacers' schematic shift in Game 1 didn't completely corral Oklahoma City's two-man attack, but it did slow things down some. SGA needed 30 shots to score those 38 points in Game 1, and Oklahoma City's offense lacked the flow to reach escape velocity, allowing Indiana to stay connected long enough to eventually spring one of its trademark fourth-quarter comebacks. "I thought Indiana is kind of an acquired taste," Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said after Game 2. "We haven't played them a ton; they're not in the West, obviously. They play a very distinct style on both ends. I felt like [in Game 2] there were a lot of things we were a little better in, and more comfortable." The Thunder's offense was at its best when Gilgeous-Alexander was sharing the ball and getting other guys involved, as Thunder swingman Aaron Wiggins noted after knocking down five triples en route to 18 points in 21 minutes off Oklahoma City's bench. "When he's out there sharing the ball, getting other guys involved, that's when our team is at our best." While the Thunder's counterpunch got them Game 2, they know the Pacers aren't down for the count yet. "We all calibrated to our opponent," Daigneault said. "You have to continue to improve in a series. They’re going to be home, be very comfortable. They’ve played very well there in these playoffs. If we don’t continue to generate momentum and keep pushing forward, we could see a different outcome in the next game."