"Every game is a reset" - SGA doesn't think the Thunder have the momentum heading to Game 3
"Every game is a reset" - SGA doesn't think the Thunder have the momentum heading to Game 3 originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The Oklahoma City Thunder got punched in the face by the Indiana Pacers in Game 1. Well, they've punched the Pacers back and won Game 2. Playing with more force on both ends of the floor, the Thunder dominated Sunday's Game 2 after a closely contested first quarter.
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With a dominant 123-107 win, many say that OKC has the momentum heading to Game 3, which will be played at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Wednesday night. However, Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said postgame that they do not have the advantage going to Game 3, but neither does Indy.
"Every game is a reset, especially at this stage in the season," said the 2025 NBA MVP.
"A series looks so different. We've had a series where we lost a game and won the next one by 40. We've had a series where we won two in a row by 20 and lost the next one by 40."
Momentum does not exist this deep in the playoffs
As SGA mentioned, the current postseason has been unpredictable. In the second round, the Denver Nuggets stunned the Thunder with Aaron Gordon's buzzer-beating tip-in in Game 1, but OKC clobbered Denver 149-106 in the next game. Then, in the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder defeated the Timberwolves by 26 and 15 points, respectively, in Games 1 and 2, but they lost Game 3 101-143.
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In Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals, the Thunder looked like they were on their way to winning the series opener easily, leading from the start to the final second of the game before Tyrese Haliburton's jumper with 0.3 seconds left stole the victory from OKC. Some felt Indiana had the momentum in Game 2, but as Oklahoma City proved, such a word doesn't exist this deep in the season.
"So it's like every game is a reset," added SGA. "And basketball reminds you of that. It's very humbling. It shows you that if you don't stay in the moment, if you don't come ready to play, no matter who you are, no matter what you just did, you can get beat pretty badly. We've learned those lessons, so we should be ready to go."
Related: "Dad, you at 17, me at 17, who was better? I said, 'Listen, son...'" - Dominique Wilkins on the moment he realized his son didn't know how great of a player he was
SGA would trade his 72 points for two wins
Gilgeous-Alexander has certainly been ready to go in these Finals. After scoring 38 in Game 1, he put up 34 points with five rebounds, eight assists, and four steals in 36 minutes of action on Sunday night to lead the Thunder. SGA's 72 points through his first two NBA Finals games are the most by any player in history. However, Shai says he'd trade the points and record anytime for two wins.
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"I'm being myself. I don't think I've tried to reinvent the wheel or step up to the plate with a different mindset. Just try to attack the game the right way, and I think I've done a pretty good job with that so far. Now, I would trade the points for 2 Ws for sure, but this is where our feet are. This is where we are. You can't go back to the past. You only try to make the future better. That's what I'm focused on," said Gilgeous-Alexander.
Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals will be on Wednesday night in Indy. The Pacers are 6-2 at home in the postseason, while the Thunder are just 4-3 on the road in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. But as Gilgeous-Alexander said, nothing historical matters because every contest is a reset.
Related: "The face of the NBA comes with other s**t, it ain't just awards" - Nick Young explains why Shai Gilgeous Alexander isn't the face of the NBA
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
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