Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder dunks the ball in opposition to the Indiana Pacers in Recreation One of many 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Middle on June 05, 2025 in Oklahoma Metropolis, Oklahoma. | Matthew Stockman/Getty Pictures/AFP
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Metropolis guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will nearly definitely attain a milestone on Sunday evening.
The reigning NBA MVP from the Thunder enters Recreation 2 of the NBA Finals in opposition to the Indiana Pacers simply two factors away from 3,000 for the season, together with the common season and playoffs.
That’s a complete that has been reached 24 different occasions in league historical past — 10 by Michael Jordan, 5 by Wilt Chamberlain and as soon as by 9 different gamers. Gilgeous-Alexander can be the twelfth to achieve the milestone.
READ: NBA Finals: How Pacers pulled off a stunner in Recreation 1
However there’s a much bigger milestone that Gilgeous-Alexander want to get Sunday as properly: His first finals win. That’ll be his solely precedence in Recreation 2.
“I stated this so many occasions, I don’t play for the person stuff,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “I don’t play for anything in addition to successful. I by no means have in my complete life.”
The Thunder, the NBA’s high general seed coming into the playoffs after going 68-14 within the common season, misplaced Recreation 1 to the Pacers on Thursday evening 111-110 — and with it, misplaced the home-court benefit on this collection as properly.
READ: NBA Finals matchup between Canada Olympic teammates getting consideration
If the Pacers win Recreation 2, they’ll seemingly develop into overwhelming favorites. Solely two groups — the 1993 Chicago Bulls and 1995 Houston Rockets — received the primary two video games of a finals on the street, and each went on to win the NBA title in these seasons. And groups that open the finals with a 2-0 lead go on to win the collection 86.5% of the time (32 occasions in 37 possibilities).
“The journey to get right here all 12 months has not been about attending to the finals,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton stated. “It’s a day at a time, particularly after the beginning of the 12 months. And it’s onerous — we have now social media and family and friends that inform us all of the numbers of when you can win the 2 video games at house, no matter it should appear like, or on the street or regardless of the case.”
The collection will shift to Indianapolis for Video games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Friday.
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