Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Hartenstein bounce-back games key Thunder Game 2 win
Before Game 1, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got handed his second MVP trophy. In Game 2, he played like the MVP.
It took just two minutes of Game 1 for Isaiah Hartenstein to get subbed out — having a non-shooting big man on the court allowed Victor Wembanyama to hang out in the paint and help off him, and that was blowing up the Thunder offense. For the rest of Game 1, Hartenstein only played when Wembanyama sat. Then there was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
He saw double-teams from the Lakers, however, he didn't see them with defenders as big, physical, and just plain good as the Spurs threw at him in Game 1 — and if he got by them he saw Wembanyama lurking in the paint, waiting. The result was a 7-of-23 shooting night in which the two-time MVP was not the best player on the court, or even on his own team. The Thunder lost.
Two days later, the Western Conference Finals are tied 1-1 because SGA and Hartenstein had massive bounce-back games. In Game 2, Gilgeous-Alexander looked like the two-time MVP: 30 points, nine assists, some solid defense all night and a late bucket when his team needed it most. He was getting downhill into the paint, floating shots over Wembanyama or drawing him in then passing out to an open shooter.
When the doubles came, he quickly found the open man and created 4-on-3s for OKC. AN MVP PERFORMANCE BY SGA! 30 PTS 9 AST 12-24 FG pic.