Now that’s how you bounce back! After a heartbreaking Game 1 loss at home, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put the Oklahoma City Thunder on his back and delivered an absolute masterclass in Game 2, leading them to a dominant 123-107 victory to even up the NBA Finals. His performance wasn’t just good, it was so magical, so unstoppable, that it got media titan Pat McAfee to coin the perfect new nickname for the league’s MVP.

The whole thing kicked off when the sports world started buzzing about a mind-blowing stat. Greg Harvey of Stats Perform tweeted out something that puts SGA in some seriously legendary company: “Players in NBA history to score 30+ points in nine straight home playoff games: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2025), Wilt Chamberlain (From 1961-64) That’s it.”

Let that sink in. Pat McAfee, who never shies away from celebrating greatness, saw that stat and immediately reposted it with his own perfect, simple assessment that has now taken on a life of its own: “This dude is a scoring wizard.”

And honestly? It might be the most accurate description of what SGA was doing in that must-win Game 2. He was absolutely surgical. Shai dropped a cool 34 points in the 36 minutes he played! This is truly a masterclass in efficiency after having to take 30 shots to get his 38 points in Game 1. In fact, his total of 72 points across his first two Finals games is the most ever by any player in their Finals debut.

This is not the only history he’s making in this finals series. During this very game, with a smooth jumper early in the first quarter, SGA officially crossed the 3,000-point mark for the combined regular season and playoffs. He’s only the 12th player in the entire history of the NBA to ever hit that milestone in a single season. The list of guys he just joined? It’s a who’s who of basketball royalty: Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Luka Doncic. That’s the legendary company Shai Gilgeous-Alexander now keeps.

But if you think SGA is letting any of these historic milestones get to his head, you don’t know Shai. Before Game 2, he made his mindset crystal clear. “I said this so many times,” he told reporters. “I don’t play for the individual stuff. I don’t play for anything else besides winning. I never have in my whole life.” And that’s exactly what we’re seeing tonight. The stats are just a byproduct of his relentless, team-first pursuit of a championship. Pat McAfee might have just coined a new nickname for him, but right now, the only label SGA cares about is “NBA Champion.”

The wizard’s workshop: SGA’s old-school game is dominating the modern NBA

So, what makes his magic so special, so different from everyone else? In a league that’s completely obsessed with the three-point line, where everyone’s trying to be the next Steph Curry, SGA is out here like a basketball revolutionary, a breath of fresh air who’s dominating the game by bringing it back inside the arc.

First off, the dude just lives in the paint. His entire offensive game is built on a relentless, probing attack on the rim. He was the only player in the entire league this past season to average more than 20 drives to the basket per game! And he’s kept that same insane energy in the playoffs. These aren’t just straight-line drives, either; it’s a “squiggly madness,” where Shai slices into the heart of the defense, constantly changing speeds, changing direction, and just waiting for a defender to make one tiny mistake. His attack is so effective that he led the league with a mind-boggling 302 driving layups this season—even more than a physical beast like Giannis Antetokounmpo!

But here’s the trick that makes him a true wizard: even if you somehow manage to stop his drive, he’s just as deadly. SGA lives and thrives in what has become a forsaken zone in today’s NBA–the mid-range. While most of the league has practically given up on the 2-point jumper, for Shai, it’s a main feature of his shot diet. An incredible 36.7% of his shots this postseason have come from that in-between area, a massive number compared to the league average of just 11.6%. And he’s not just taking them; he’s sinking them at a ridiculous rate, hitting an insane 53 percent of his shots from 8 to 16 feet in these playoffs! That’s Kevin Durant-level stuff.

So, how does he do it? It’s all about the craft, the details. His footwork is just immaculate. His ability to pivot on a dime is world-class. He puts defenders in an absolute blender. He’ll drive left, make you think he’s going all the way, then spin back into the paint for a gorgeous righty layup. Or he’ll do the exact same move and just stop on a dime for a silky-smooth pull-up J.

And for any fan who grew up watching the all-time greats, his style just feels different, a beautiful throwback. It’s no wonder he’s compared to GOATs like Kobe and Jordan. And this is the absolute nightmare the Pacers have to solve for the rest of the Finals. How do you possibly stop the best driving guard in the league, who also happens to be one of the most efficient mid-range shooters on the planet, and who gets to the free-throw line more than almost anyone? It’s a pick-your-poison situation with no good answers. The “Scoring Wizard” has a whole bag of tricks, and he looks ready to put on a show for the rest of this series. Good luck, Indy.