People celebrated the “death of the big three era” before this year’s Finals, as both conference champs were built with depth and balanced roster construction.

But in Game 2, the Thunder’s top three looked pretttttty big.

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Udonis Haslem and Nikola Jović! 🎉

Finals Recap

SGA scores 34, OKC clamps up to even Finals with 123-107 win

X is only in the alphabet once, but you’d be hard-pressed to pick out one single X-factor from OKC’s Game 2 win.

League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 PTS and added 8 AST to avenge a missed shot in the clutch in Game 1 (although he did have 37 PTS in that game). Chet Holmgren had 9 PTS in the first quarter and 15 overall after scoring just 6 in the series opener, while Jalen Williams got in rhythm with 19 PTS, 5 AST, and 5 REB. Aaron Wiggins hit five threes, the Thunder defense held Indiana to 41 first-half PTS, and OKC tied the Finals at one game apiece.

The factors that have made OKC the league’s best regular season team for the past two years were on full display last night, with the Thunder’s young big three all playing their parts and the squad’s cohesion and effort on defense making for a smothering effort. While fans across the country watched and waited for another stunning Indiana comeback, the Thunder ensured this night would be different, holding their front and putting the game away one Shai jumper at a time.

The series is far from over, but staring down a best of five for the title, Indiana will be forced to find answers for the Thunder’s aggressive defense. Tyrese Haliburton (17 PTS, 6 AST) seemed to be out of attack mode, and overall, OKC has slowed Indiana for 7 out of 8 quarters thus far.

That said, we expect the Pacers to bounce back in Game 3 at a very loud Gainbridge Fieldhouse. 🤩

Around the Association

Former Villanova head coach Jay Wright excluded from Knicks’ HC search

Turns out the magic of the Nova Knicks may be limited to the roster.

Former Villanova head coach Jay Wright will reportedly not be in the mix for the head coaching job in New York, a hit to all Wildcat fans who hoped for an epic reunion. Wright retired from his post at Nova’s helm in 2022 to become a TV analyst, a position Josh Hart joked he should stick with.

After New York’s shocking firing of Tom Thibodeau last week, countless names have been floated as potential replacements, including recently fired coaches like Michael Malone and Taylor Jenkins. But candidates in place elsewhere are also in the conversation, namely Mavericks HC Jason Kidd. 

Only time will tell who takes over in the Mecca!

Record Retrospective

While the 2025 Finals are still anyone’s to win, SGA’s performance through two games has been enough to warrant some legendary comparisons. If Shai brings home the title, he would become only the fourth player in league history to win the scoring title, MVP, and a championship in the same season.

Who are the other three? Let’s get into it: ⬇️

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 1971

Back when he was still known as Lew Alcindor, the NBA’s former all-time leading scorer made his mark on the basketball world early and often. After winning three NCAA championships at UCLA and getting Rookie of the Year in 1970, Abdul-Jabbar took the league by storm as a sophomore player for Milwaukee, averaging 31.7 PPG and bringing home the MVP trophy.

And after acquiring HOF guard Oscar Robertson the season before, the Bucks were just as dominant, winning 66 regular season games (including a then-record 20 straight wins) and sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in the Finals.

Michael Jordan: 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998

His reputation precedes him.

In the midst of the Bulls’ dynastic 90s run, Jordan was the closest thing to unguardable we’ve seen in the modern NBA. During his first triple crown season, in 1991, MJ averaged 31.5 PPG and led Chicago to its first title in franchise history. Then, he replicated the feat three times over, albeit with a brief baseball break in between.

In 1998’s fabled “Last Dance,” His Airness racked up 28.7 PPG and dispatched the Utah Jazz in six games in the Finals, adding a fifth MVP, sixth Finals MVP, and second three-peat to his trophy case.

Shaquille O’Neal: 2000

Speaking of three-peats, the NBA’s most recent run of three rings in a row was authored by a certain dynamic duo in Los Angeles—we’re talking young Kobe Bryant and prime Big Diesel.

In 2000, Shaq tore through the league to the tune of 29.7 PPG and 13.6 RPG. He led the league in scoring, field goals made, and field goal percentage, helping L.A. to the Finals where they beat the Pacers in six games.

Though it was the big man’s only MVP award, it remains one of the most dominant single-season runs in league history. Does Shai have what it takes to join this elite club?

Three in the Key

Signing Off

And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, try to go somewhere you’ve never been before. We all love our routines, but you might just find a new place to put in your rotation. See you soon!

Walker Carnathan