“They play a full 48 minutes and you can’t just throw the first punch,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “You’ve got to try to throw all the punches all night.

“That’s what we did. We threw enough punches tonight to get a ‘W’.”

Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, added five rebounds and eight assists.

The Thunder’s Jalen Williams scored 19 points, Aaron Wiggins had 18 and Chet Holmgren recovered from a disappointing six points in game one to score 15 points with six rebounds.

The Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton was limited to 17 points, three rebounds and six assists.

“It’s still a race – first to four,” he said. “We are going to our home court tied 1-1.”

Haliburton walked out of the post-game news conference with a slight limp.

Seven Pacers players scored in double figures, including Myles Turner with 16 points and Pascal Siakam with 15.

After weekend storms brought possible tornado damage to McAlester, Cimmaron and other communities in Oklahoma, the state could face another bout of severe storms tonight that could result in large hail, damaging winds, and potentially tornadoes.

According to the National Weather Service, the risk of storms should start Sunday afternoon around 1 p.m. and continue into Monday morning, with much of the state expecting some level of severe weather through the day.

The potential for tornadoes is low, but softball-size hail could develop, and winds could top 80 mph.

Severe weather is expected to develop in the northwestern portions of the state between 3-7 p.m., reach Oklahoma City between 5-9 p.m., and cross southeast between 8-11 p.m. Sunday.

On Monday and Tuesday, much of the state should get a break from severe weather, with sunny and warm conditions. Chances of thunderstorms return Wednesday and into next weekend.

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What to do when there’s a tornado warning

Take action now. A warning means someone saw a tornado or one was indicated by weather radar. Under a tornado warning, there’s imminent danger to life and property. Everyone should move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and avoid windows.

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The Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC) is preparing to take control of the state’s last privately operated prison next month, marking a major shift in how the state manages its incarcerated population.

DOC officials announced Saturday that the agency will assume operational control of the Lawton Correctional Facility on July 25. The facility was recently purchased by the state for $312 million, a move state lawmakers say saves taxpayer dollars compared to the estimated $1.5 billion it would take to build a new prison from scratch.

“This is a ‘how do we fix a problem’ situation,” said Rep. Trey Caldwell. “Are correctional officers in the state of Oklahoma safe? How do we make sure that we are being humane in the treatment of the people that we do have incarcerated?”

>> Oklahoma lawmakers propose $312 million to buy last private prison

According to Director Steve Harp, all current employees at the Lawton facility will be offered jobs with DOC, pending successful background checks.

The transition is part of a broader effort to bring Oklahoma’s prison system under direct state oversight, improve safety conditions for staff and inmates, and ensure consistent standards across all facilities.

The Lawton Correctional Facility has housed state inmates under private management for years. Once the DOC takes over in late July, all state correctional facilities will be publicly run.