Oklahoma City

Thunder

While Holmgren’s box score shows a solid effort with 20 points and 10 rebounds, the 23-year-old power forward certainly struggled against a physical Pacers frontline. This was encapsulated in one of the final Thunder possessions. With two minutes left and down six points, Holmgren passed up an opportunity to drive after getting the ball on a pick and roll. Later in the possession, he appeared open for a three-pointer, but was blocked by Myles Turner. After corralling the miss, Holmgren drove the lane but was denied again by Turner, with help defense from Pascal Siakam, and the possession went to the Pacers. Holmgren will need to bounce back if the Thunder are going to get back into this series with a win in Game 4 on Friday.

To say that Gilgeous-Alexander struggled in Game 3 would be an understatement. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle joked earlier this week that the 26-year-old point guard would have 34 points as soon as he got off the bus. Instead, Gilgeous-Alexander finished Game 3 with 24 and a playoff career-high six turnovers against the Pacers’ swarming defense. A better offensive effort from SGA is paramount for the Thunder in Game 4 on Friday.

Caruso has been Oklahoma City’s most productive reserve in the NBA Finals, which makes some sense due to him being the lone player on the roster with a championship ring. After recording 11 points and a complete stat line in Game 1, Caruso was more lethal as a scorer in Game 2. A double-digit score in three of his last four appearances, the 20 points are the most Caruso has tallied in a game since Game 1 of the Thunder’s second-round series against Denver. Given the matchup, he should continue to hit the high-20s in minutes, which raises Caruso’s ceiling on both ends of the floor. Game 3 is on Wednesday in Indianapolis.

After only scoring 28 points in Game 1, Oklahoma City’s reserves were more impactful in Game 2, finishing with 48. Wiggins helped lead the way, as the 18 points were the most he’s scored in a game since the Thunder’s Game 1 win over the Grizzlies in the first round. Expecting production of this caliber from Wiggins consistently would be a bit much. Still, he’ll need to be a factor, especially if Oklahoma City continues to start Cason Wallace (4/3/1/2/1 in 24 minutes). Sunday’s rout was a reminder of what Wiggins is capable of offensively.

After shooting 6-of-19 from the field in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Williams was better in Sunday’s victory. While the percentage still has room for growth, J-Dub attempted nine free throws after getting just four on Thursday. Add in the rebounds and assists, and Williams managed to bring more to the table following his disappointing Finals debut. Oklahoma City outscored Indiana by a 33-21 margin in the second quarter, and Williams was a factor, shooting 3-of-6 from the field and scoring nine points. That’s the level of offensive aggression the Thunder will need J-Dub to bring to the table consistently if they’re to win the series. Game 3 is on Wednesday in Indianapolis.

While Holmgren’s point total wasn’t much to write home about in Game 2, it represented a marked improvement over what he brought to the table in Game 1. Having scored six points in the opening game of the NBA Finals, Holmgren exceeded that number in the first quarter of Game 2 by putting up nine points. He was held in check for the rest of the night, but other Thunder players stepped up to help Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shoulder the offensive workload. If the Holmgren who showed up to begin Game 2 is the norm, Oklahoma City’s chances of winning the franchise’s first NBA title increase substantially.

While Gilgeous-Alexander did score 38 points in Oklahoma City’s Game 1 defeat, he shot below 50 percent from the field. The NBA’s Most Valuable Player was more forceful in Game 2, and the approach led to SGA attempting 12 free throws while also shooting over 50 percent from the field. Gilgeous-Alexander made some history during the victory, becoming the 12th player in league history to score at least 3,000 points in a season — that counts the regular season and playoffs. Putting up high point totals should not be an issue in this series, even with the Pacers’ ability to use multiple defenders on SGA. The key will be how he gets those points, and how often the Thunder point guard can get to the foul line. Game 3 is on Wednesday in Indianapolis.

A lot of things went right for the Thunder in this game. They won the turnover matchup by a lot. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a big night. Luguentz Dort and Alex Caruso were productive on both ends of the floor. However, one thing that sticks out is that Williams and Chet Holmgren (six points, six rebounds and one block in 24 minutes) didn’t step up as SGA’s co-stars. OKC has played well when Williams has it going and has struggled when he isn’t playing well. He’ll need to be better in Game 2 on Sunday to avoid going down 0-2.

Dort is one of the best defensive players in the league, and he made his presence felt in Game 1 of this series. He collected six defensive stats and knocked down a team-high five triples to provide Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with some help on the offensive end. Dort’s offensive output will likely be inconsistent moving forward, but he’s capable of knocking down shots when he needs to. However, he’ll continue to dominate on the defensive end every night.

Unsurprisingly, Caruso had his hands all over this game. This is why they traded for him. He was able to make an impact on both ends of the floor, and his 28 minutes were the most of any bench player and more than Chet Holmgren. Clearly, Caruso is going to be a big factor in this series for OKC. He’ll continue to make plays on both offense and defense for the remainder of the series, just as he has throughout the playoffs thus far.