From a collapse to a statement, the Oklahoma City Thunder are learning on the fly what it takes to win on the NBA’s biggest stage.
Now, they want to turn a bounce-back into a breakthrough.
Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder visit the Indiana Pacers for Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Thursday (PH time), with the series tied at one-game apiece.
Match time is at 8:30 a.m. as Oklahoma City aims to build off its dominant Game 2 win and take control of the series for the first time.
After squandering a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter of the Finals opener, the Thunder responded with a commanding 123–107 rout — their first win in the NBA Finals since Game 1 of the 2012 series against Miami Heat.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 34 points, overtaking New York’s Jalen Brunson as the leading scorer of the 2025 playoffs, on top of eight assists, five rebounds, and four steals.
His 72 combined points through two games also broke Allen Iverson’s record (71) for the most by a player in their first two career Finals appearances.
His first basket of the night marked his 3,000th combined point of the season (regular season and playoffs), making him just the 12th player in league history to reach that milestone.
Alex Caruso added 20 off the bench, while Jalen Williams, Aaron Wiggins, and Chet Holmgren all finished in double figures for a Thunder squad that shot 49 percent, made 14 three-pointers, and controlled the glass and pace of play.
Including the NBA Cup title game, Oklahoma City is now 18–2 this season following a loss — with 12 of those wins coming by double digits.
(With reports from Pao Ambat)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]
