
Thunder flex their depth around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They'll need that to continue
OKLAHOMA CITY — Aaron Wiggins is a distant eighth on the Oklahoma City Thunder in total minutes during these NBA playoffs. He was briefly pulled from the rotation during the Western Conference finals. He typically doesn't enter the game until the start of the second quarter, and if he doesn't provide a near-immediate spark, he doesn't see the court for too long. He only received nine minutes in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Advertisement
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault first went to Wiggins in Game 2 with 15.2 seconds left in the first quarter. It was a chance to get Wiggins' shooting on the floor for an extra late-quarter offensive possession and warm him up for his upcoming run. With Wiggins spaced in the right corner, Chet Holmgren swooped in for a finger roll to put the Thunder up six.
This was the beginning of a run that gave Oklahoma City complete control for the entirety of their 123-107 Game 2 win over the Indiana Pacers, evening these NBA Finals at 1-1.
Wiggins made a leaning 10-footer on the first possession of the second quarter. He hit a stepback 3 four minutes later. Daigneault left Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench for five straight second-quarter minutes, and the Thunder expanded their lead by nine.
Daigneault left a hot Wiggins on the floor, and he responded with five 3s and 18 points in 21 minutes, his most since the playoff opener against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Thunder won during his court time by 24 points.
'Sometimes it's 20 minutes, sometimes two minutes, sometimes he gets 10,' Gilgeous-Alexander said of Wiggins. 'It's all over the place. But no matter what, he finds a way to impact winning for us.'
Wiggins' expanded role was only part of the Thunder's subtle and ultimately successful adjustments from the finals opener. They started the same way, leaning small against the quicker Pacers, but went to their double-big lineup of Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein for the first time in the series late in the first quarter. After giving up an immediate 3, they had a plus-six spurt together.
Daigneault appears wary to play both centers together when Myles Turner is on the floor as part of a five-out Indiana look, but when Thomas Bryant enters, the Thunder's staff sees a better environment to attack bigger.
Advertisement
'I always love playing with Hart,' Holmgren said. 'Especially when he's throwing lobs up to me.'
The two centers combined for maybe the Thunder's highlight of the night, a late third-quarter pick-and-roll where Gilgeous-Alexander drew two defenders and dumped it over to a diving Hartenstein, who lobbed it over Bryant's head to Holmgren for a tomahawk dunk.
Holmgren had a significantly better performance than in the opener. He only made two of his nine Game 1 shots and was limited to 24 minutes. Daigneault opted to close without him on the floor, a possible mistake in retrospect, considering what happened.
But Holmgren made Daigneault's decision to keep him on the floor more often in Game 2 by bringing a level of offensive assertiveness. Holmgren was upset with himself for his rushed, soft finishing on Thursday night and corrected that on Sunday. He had nine points in the first quarter and finished with 15 on 6-of-11 shooting.
'You have to have a level of care,' Holmgren said when asked if his frustration fueled his response. 'If you're just like, whatever, I don't think that's good. I'd say I have a good middle ground of not getting overly emotional but also caring enough to try and always be better next game.'
As the series shifts to Indianapolis, the double-big lineup still appears to be only a minor part of Daigneault's plan. Hartenstein and Holmgren played five minutes together and were a plus-four. But both centers were impactful separately against a Pacers team that generates uncomfortable situations for bigs.
'They were both really good in both situations,' Daigneault said. 'One area where we improved tonight was our pick-and-roll coverage against their bigs. They're a different look because of the rolling, the popping, just the way they play. They both were great. I thought Chet, in particular, had a rough offensive night in Game 1. As always, he rose back up and was really, really good.'
Advertisement
Gilgeous-Alexander had a far more efficient night. After needing 30 shots for his 38 points in Game 1, he went for a smoother 34 points on 11-of-21 shooting and 11 of 12 from the line. He had eight assists and four steals, outplaying Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who left the arena limping.
But the Thunder kept control of this game when Gilgeous-Alexander rested, showcasing that star-plus-depth combination that boosted them to 68 wins this season. They won the 36 Gilgeous-Alexander minutes by five points and the 12 minutes he rested by 11 points. The five-man unit of Alex Caruso (who had 20 points), Jalen Williams, Wiggins, Cason Wallace and Hartenstein was particularly effective.
'We've played that lineup a lot through the playoffs,' Caruso said. 'Mark went back to it because we've had a lot of success. Me and Cason do a good job of mixing it up with whoever is the lead guard. Dub has great hands. We have a versatility in the lineup. It lets Wigs get a little bit loose, too.'
The Thunder will fly to Indianapolis on Monday afternoon, readying for Tuesday's practice and media circus before a Wednesday and Friday two-game crack at taking back control of a series they let slip in the opener. They are 4-3 on the road in these playoffs. They'll need their depth to show up again.
'No one-man show can win an NBA championship,' Gilgeous-Alexander said.
(Photo of Aaron Wiggins: Alonzo Adams / Imagn Images)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Newsweek
17 minutes ago
- Newsweek
NBA Finals Game 3 Odds, Picks, Best ATS Bets: OKC Seeks 2-1 Series Lead
The NBA Finals shifts to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for Game 3 on Wednesday night, with OKC laying 5 points at most sportsbooks. The NBA Finals shifts to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for Game 3 on Wednesday night, with OKC laying 5 points at most sportsbooks. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The NBA Finals continue with a pivotal Game 3 on Wednesday night in Indianapolis. Can the Pacers win one or both of the next two games at home and make it clear that we're in for a long series? Or will the Thunder -- who led by double digits for most of Games 1 and 2, but let the series opener slip away at home last Thursday -- give hoops fans another reminder of why they entered this series as one of the heaviest betting favorites in NBA Finals history? NBA Finals Game 3 Betting Odds After being favored by double-digits in both Games 1 and 2, the Thunder are just 5 or 5.5-point favorites (depending on the sportsbook) in tonight's game. DK FD bet365 OKC spread -5.5 (-108) -5 (-114) -5.5 (-105) IND spread +5.5 (-112) +5 (-106) +5.5 (-115) IND ML -218 -220 -220 OKC ML +180 +184 +180 Total 227.5 (o-110; u-110) 227.5 (o-108; u-112) 227 (o-110; u-110) How to Watch NBA Finals Game 3: Thunder vs. Pacers Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. ET Channel: ABC NBA Finals Series Winner Odds: OKC Heavily Favored Oklahoma City remains heavily favored in this series despite dropping Game 1. DraftKings : OKC -525; IND +400 FanDuel : OKC -650; IND +480 bet365 : OKC -550; IND +400 NBA Finals Game 3 Betting Picks, Analysis Why The Thunder Could Win Game 3 (And/Or Cover) In Game 2, OKC cleaned up just about everything that plagued it in Game 1, including poor defensive rebounding, cold shooting nights by second- and third-leading scorers Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, plus an unusually unproductive night by its bench players. With the Thunder winning the offensive rebounding battle 11-7 in Game 2 and enjoying a 48-34 advantage in bench points, Indiana trailed 59-41 at halftime and 93-74 going into the fourth quarter. While Game 1 of these Finals proved that OKC's B game won't cut it against the Pacers, Game 2 showed that the Thunder are just about untouchable when they're on their A game. While the Thunder were excellent offensively in Game 2 (as evidenced by their offensive rating of 126), their defense might have been even more impressive. Despite a 33-point fourth quarter on 13-for-20 FG shooting in (mostly) garbage time, the Pacers were still held to 45 percent shooting from the floor in Game 2. They also finished with at least 15 turnovers for the second time in as many games. Unless the Pacers can get out in transition -- which has been nearly impossible for Thunder opponents to do -- it's hard to see them scoring enough tonight to get a win. Why The Pacers Could Win Game 3 (And/Or Cover) The Pacers have already defied their doubters with a number of upsets this postseason. With that in mind, many bettors are understandably reluctant to bet against them at home tonight. So yes, Haliburton and Co. could be a frisky underdog in front of their raucous home crowd tonight, especially if role players like Aaron Nesmith step up the way they did in Game 1. Six Pacers scored at least 10 points, led by Pascal Siakam's game-high 19 points, in that contest. It's also at least theoretically possible that at least once in this series, the Pacers will be able to jump the Thunder early -- like the Timberwolves did in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals -- and win going away. The most likely outcome, however, feels like another comfortable win by the Thunder, who have shown all season that they are too deep to lose if they're anywhere near their best. Thunder vs. Pacers Game 3 Best Bets No one should be shocked if Indiana wins another game in this series, but the Thunder strike me as too much for the Pacers. It's worth noting that OKC has not gotten a quality shooting night from All-Star Jalen Williams in this series. So far, Williams has shot just 11-for-33 from the floor in the Finals. Even with Williams struggling, OKC enjoyed a solid offensive night in Game 1, and it was lights-out in Game 2. It helps that the Thunder have a slew of secondary options in addition to regular-season MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is averaging 37.5 points and 6.75 assists per game on 52 percent shooting from the field in four OKC-IND matchups this year. Until Indiana finds a way to slow down Gilgeous-Alexander, all the Thunder need in order to win -- if not cruise -- is for one or two of their complementary pieces to step up. Whether that's Williams, Holmgren, or bench players like Alex Caruso (20 points in Game 2) and Aaron Wiggins (18 points in Game 2), the Thunder have too many options for me to bet against them, even in a tough environment like Gainbridge Fieldhouse against a scrappy foe like the Pacers. The best bets tonight are OKC -- which led 57-45 at halftime of Game 1 and 59-41 at halftime of Game 2 -- to cover not only the spread and the first-half spread, as I don't see this one staying close for 48 minutes. Thunder 1H -3 (-108 at DraftKings) -- 1 unit Thunder -5.5 (-105 at bet365) -- 1 unit Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.


Newsweek
22 minutes ago
- Newsweek
DeMarcus Cousins Suspended for Season After Altercation With Fan
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Former NBA All-Star center and lottery pick DeMarcus Cousins has been suspended from the Puerto Rican basketball league after an altercation with a fan. More NBA news: Former NBA All-Star Believes Thunder Resemble Prime Warriors Team The National Superior Basketball Association announced the following sanctions and fines for Cousins. "Guaynabo Mets player DeMarcus Cousins has been suspended for the remainder of the 2025 season and fined $4,250 for a disqualifying foul, a technical foul, and acts that incite violence or provocation. "In addition, the player must show cause why he should not be fined an additional $5,750, given the seriousness of the incident. "In view of the above, the player faces fines of up to $10,000." Dwight Howard #39 of the Philadelphia 76ers and DeMarcus Cousins #15 of the Houston Rockets speak before playing at Wells Fargo Center on February 17, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dwight Howard #39 of the Philadelphia 76ers and DeMarcus Cousins #15 of the Houston Rockets speak before playing at Wells Fargo Center on February 17, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photo byThe incident, which took place on Monday, saw Cousins confront a fan courtside. He was eventually ejected, and as he returned to the locker room, fans threw drinks at him, which led him to confront some of the fans. The 34-year-old signed with the Guaynabo Mets in late April for the 2025 season. He had played with the team in 2023 and was sensational. In that season, Cousins averaged 20.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in 25.4 minutes per game. He shot 44 percent from three and 69 percent from the charity stripe in free throws. As for this season, Cousins was great, averaging 18.2 points per game, nine rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.4 blocks in 10 games played this season. Cousins, a four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection, spent 11 seasons in the league. Over the course of 654 regular season games, he suited up for the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, LA Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Denver Nuggets. A former standout at Kentucky, Cousins put together a strong NBA resume, averaging 19.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game on .460/.331/.737 shooting splits. The Kings made him the No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, and early in his career, he looked like a franchise cornerstone. But injuries changed the course of his journey — most notably a torn left Achilles tendon in 2018 during his first full season with the Pelicans. That injury marked a turning point. His production declined, and he never fully regained his dominant form. From that point on, he became somewhat of a journeyman, struggling to find long-term footing with any team. At 34, Cousins could still have something left in the tank, but teams across the league have been reluctant to take a chance. More NBA news: Former All-Star Center DeMarcus Cousins Signing with Overseas Team


CNBC
29 minutes ago
- CNBC
Shaquille O'Neal to pay $1.8 million to settle FTX investor lawsuit
Shaquille O'Neal has agreed to pay $1.8 million to settle claims that he misled investors by promoting the now-bankrupt crypto exchange FTX. The retired NBA superstar, who once urged fans to trust the platform, will resolve the allegations without admitting wrongdoing — but the deal marks one of the first high-profile settlements in the legal reckoning over FTX's collapse. The proposed settlement, filed in Florida federal court, would end a class action lawsuit accusing O'Neal of presenting FTX as a trustworthy and legitimate investment tool — particularly at live events and in social media content — while allegedly helping drive adoption of unregistered securities. The class includes anyone who deposited money into FTX or held its proprietary token, FTT, between May 2019 and late 2022. If the overseeing judge approves the deal, O'Neal's $1.8 million payout will cover all legal fees, notice and administration costs, and payouts to eligible investors. The arrangement also includes a sweeping release from future liability, and a provision barring him from seeking reimbursement from the FTX bankruptcy estate. In short: the check he's writing is final — and all-inclusive. "We are pleased to have this matter behind us," counsel for O'Neal said in a statement. Unlike other celebrity defendants and former FTX endorsers — including Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen, and Steph Curry — whose cases were largely dismissed, O'Neal remained entangled after a lengthy effort to serve him legal papers. Front Office Sports reported in February that O'Neal inked a $15 million deal to remain with TNT's "Inside the NBA." O'Neal told CNBC in 2022 that, regarding FTX, he "was just a paid spokesperson for a commercial." O'Neal was named in a class-action lawsuit alleging that FTX's spokespeople "either controlled, promoted, assisted in [or] actively participated" in a plot to "aggressively market" the company. In earlier interviews with CNBC Make It, O'Neal said he was actively avoiding cryptocurrency. "I don't understand it, so I will probably stay away from it until I get a full understanding of what it is," he said at the time, adding: "From my experience, it is too good to be true."