For the primary 47 minutes, 40 seconds of Sport 1 of the NBA Finals, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander completely outplayed Tyrese Haliburton within the matchup of star level guards.
However as Pacers coach Rick Carlisle mentioned after Indiana’s outstanding comeback to beat the New York Knicks in Sport 1 of the Japanese Convention finals, it is a 48-minute recreation. And, in these remaining 20 seconds Thursday evening, Haliburton and the Pacers modified the narrative … once more.
First, it was Gilgeous-Alexander — who had 38 factors however was 14-for-30 capturing — lacking a clear midrange jumper, his specialty, that might’ve given the Thunder a three-point lead with 10 seconds left. After which, it was Haliburton once more taking part in the position of street spoiler, hitting a circus shot that may not have been fairly as spectacular as his high-bouncing miracle at Madison Sq. Backyard on Might 21. However, not like that shot, this shot gained the sport for the Pacers in regulation.
In consequence, Indiana — which by no means led till Haliburton’s shot from simply contained in the 3-point arc dropped by means of the ring with 0.3 seconds remaining — someway left the Paycom Middle with a 111-110 victory over the closely favored Thunder, and injected a large quantity of life into this collection.
For a lot of Sport 1, the Thunder have been dictating the phrases of engagement. They compelled Indiana — sometimes nice at caring for the ball — right into a staff that was flinging the ball throughout to the tune of 24 turnovers, in comparison with solely six for Oklahoma Metropolis.
The Thunder took 16 extra photographs than the Pacers, however the Pacers hit a bunch of 3s — together with 6-for-10 within the fourth quarter — and the Thunder, as they’re susceptible to do, missed an entire bunch of them. That allowed Indiana — a staff that has pulled off one outstanding comeback after one other in these playoffs — to search out itself in prime place once more.
And, as he has so many occasions in these playoffs, Haliburton delivered within the largest second.
There are nonetheless loads of causes to suppose Oklahoma Metropolis is the deserved favourite on this collection. However the second half of Thursday’s recreation revealed a blueprint: The Pacers took much better care of the ball, and their high-octane offense took off. Oklahoma Metropolis, in the meantime, bought right into a rut offensively, and Gilgeous-Alexander had a few crucial misses within the closing moments.
Due to it, like they did in each the Japanese Convention semifinals towards the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Japanese Convention finals in New York, the Pacers have claimed a Sport 1 street victory.
And, consequently, we now have ourselves a collection. — Tim Bontemps
The Thunder want 48 minutes of their NBA-best protection, not 24
The primary half displayed the Thunder’s defensive fury at its most interesting, forcing 19 turnovers whereas holding the Pacers to 45 factors. Nevertheless it did not maintain up within the second half.
Perhaps it simply took the Pacers a few quarters to regulate to the Thunder’s defensive strain, however Indiana appeared comfy after halftime, placing up 66 factors within the second half — 35 within the fourth quarter, punctuated by Haliburton’s profitable shot — to tug off the upset.
Indiana additionally had solely six turnovers within the second half, taking part in their fashion of fast-paced, under-control offense. — Tim MacMahon
A brand new information to a different ridiculous Pacers comeback: minimize the turnovers
If this postseason has taught us something, it is that the Pacers can by no means be counted out. After trailing by 15 factors within the fourth quarter, Indiana stormed again to take Sport 1 on one more profitable shot by Haliburton with 0.3 seconds remaining, the one lead the Pacers had.
It has turn into a collection staple for the Pacers throughout this postseason run: a fourth-quarter comeback that has demoralized every of their earlier three opponents.
Indiana’s comeback this time was fueled by its ordinary suspects, some clutch 3-point photographs from Myles Turner, Obi Toppin and Aaron Nesmith, and taking higher care of the ball after record-setting turnovers within the first half.
After which, in fact, Haliburton hit one other massive shot to seal the deal. — Jamal Collier
2:10
Pacers take Sport 1 after miraculous 4th-quarter comeback
The Pacers erase a 15-point deficit that ends with a Tyrese Haliburton buzzer-beater to take Sport 1.
What to look at for in Sport 2
Sport 2: Pacers at Thunder (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET, ABC)
Can Indiana do it once more? That is the third consecutive collection wherein the Pacers have taken Sport 1 on the street, and every of the previous two occasions, in addition they gained Sport 2 to take a commanding 2-0 lead.
On the whole, groups that lose Sport 1 at dwelling are heavy favorites to even the collection. General, since 2021, larger seeds in that state of affairs have gone 21-7 in Sport 2 with a plus-12.1 level differential.
In these playoffs, groups which have misplaced Sport 1 at dwelling have outscored opponents by a mean of 12 factors per recreation in Sport 2. There have been greater than sufficient blowout wins (together with Oklahoma Metropolis beating the Denver Nuggets by 43 in Sport 2 this season) to outweigh simply three Sport 2s which have gone to street groups — Indiana twice and the Knicks over the Boston Celtics within the second spherical.
Partially, it is an inevitable product of human nature. Street groups have already achieved their objective by assuring a break up of the primary two video games, giving them home-court benefit within the collection.
Credit score the Pacers for not being glad and taking leads that proved insurmountable. Doing so towards a Thunder staff that has misplaced consecutive video games simply twice all season would be the hardest check but . — Kevin Pelton