The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 123–107 to tie the NBA Finals series at 1-1, with Aaron Wiggins stealing the show as the team recovered from a narrow defeat in Game 1 on Sunday. But Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kept up his superiority. The reigning MVP scored 34 points, preparing the way for Wednesday's Game 3 in Indianapolis.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 11 of his 12 free throw attempts, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out eight assists. In Game 1, OKC let a 15-point fourth-quarter lead vanish, but they recovered to win.

Wiggins was quickly hailed by supporters for "saving basketball," as the OKC great put it. The 26-year-old scored 18 points and grabbed 4 rebounds after entering the game from the bench.

How can it be said that Aaron Wiggins "saved basketball"?

It's possible that the saying "Aaron Wiggins saved basketball" started out as a humorous meme during the 2022–23 season, maybe related to his time at Maryland or OKC's play-in run. A video that went viral showed a supporter thanking Wiggins, who said, "I'm literally just Aaron Wiggins," with a straight face.

The Thunder, on the other hand, seized the lead for good late in the first quarter on Sunday and extended it to 23 early in the second with a 19-2 run that was supported by both their defense and Gilgeous-Alexander's finishes on the other end.

Indiana immediately responded with a 10-0 spurt, bringing the score to 52-39, but the 13-point gap remained constant.

According to the SGA, the victory was built on the Thunder's defense.

"With them, that's where it begins -- they're a high-powered offense," the Canadian celebrity stated.

Gilgeous-Alexander continued, "They play fast, score a lot of points, and if you don't get stops, you're running all game and they can beat you that way."

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