Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Continues to Adapt to Indiana’s Defensive Scheme

Oklahoma City adjusted well to Indiana's schemes in Game 2, and it created easy looks all over the floor. But the truth is, they didn't have to adjust much. The only thing that really needed to change was converting routine buckets and not blowing a double digit lead in the last few minutes.

For nearly the entirety of two games, Oklahoma City has been in full control. Although the series is tied 1-1, and that's certainly a win for Indiana, there are a lot of things to like for the Thunder. This team has been a heavy favorite all series, but the odds jumped back up after OKC's Game 2 blowout. There's a reason for that — it's easy to see this Thunder team is nearly impossible to beat when shots are falling.

One of the Thunder's biggest positives early on is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's striking level of efficiency. Rick Carlisle and the Pacers have made it clear from the beginning that SGA is going to get his points — Indiana has been very complimentary of the superstar.

Gilgeous-Alexander didn't necessarily have to do much differently after his 38-point outing in Game 1, but he scored with ultra efficiency in Game 2. He also got his teammates involved at a high rate.

"A series is so tricky," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "It definitely is a feel-out, but there's also so many adjustments made to where it's almost hard to predict and try to determine what they're going to do with you.

"You kind of just have to be ready for everything and just try to be as sharp as you can. That's how I kind of see it. We've played well in certain games and teams have thrown different coverages at us as a group and a scheme. I find myself trying to predict what they're going to do before. It almost catches you off guard. I try to be ready for everything and let the game come to me."

Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 34 points and eight assists on 11-of-21 shooting. His attention to Indiana's adjustments will be important as the series wears on, as SGA will need to tweak his points of emphasis. If Indiana opts to run zone or stop SGA from scoring, he'll have to trust his teammates to make timely shots.

One way or another, Gilgeous-Alexander has the single-greatest impact on this series. His ability to continue to adjust to Indiana's coverages will determine the outcome.