Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Says He'd Trade His NBA Finals Points for 2-0 Thunder Lead

After the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Game 2 win to even the NBA Finals at 1-1, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said he’d trade all 72 of his points across the first two games for a pair of victories instead.

"I would trade the points for two W's for sure," Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters after the win on Sunday. "But this is where we are."

With back-to-back NBA Finals performances of 34 and 38 points, the 2025 NBA MVP is proving exactly why he earned the honor.

Despite his 38-point performance in Game 1, the Pacers pulled off a stunning fourth-quarter comeback to steal a 111-110 win on the road.

Gilgeous-Alexander has been on a historic postseason tear, becoming just the second player in NBA history—alongside Wilt Chamberlain—to score at least 30 points in nine consecutive home playoff games.

Along with joining Chamberlain in the record books, Gilgeous-Alexander's 72 points over the first two games of the series set the record for the most by a player in their first two career NBA Finals games, surpassing Allen Iverson’s 71 points in 2001.

It doesn't stop there for the MVP.

With a 10-footer at the 8:24 mark in the first quarter Sunday, Gilgeous-Alexander recorded his 3,000th career postseason point, becoming just the 12th player in NBA history to reach the milestone. He joins an elite list that includes Michael Jordan—who accomplished the feat 10 times—Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Shaquille O’Neal and others.

Even with his standout performances, the series is tied 1-1—and nothing would have compared to the advantage of heading to enemy territory in Indiana with a 2-0 lead.