INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers were just too eager to return home on Monday morning.
There could be many potential explanations for this. Perhaps they simply wished to leave Oklahoma City following their victory in the initial pair of matches during the NBA Finals. Possibly, they were eager to experience how fans in Indianapolis would react after waiting 25 years to return to championship contention. Alternatively, perhaps they were just ready to dive back into their training regimen.
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It’s likely a bit of everything — particularly the final part.
Indeed, the Pacers and the Thunder are knotted up at one win each after two matches in the NBA Finals series. This achievement holds significant weight for the underdog Pacers as they managed to claim home-court advantage by securing victory in game one. However, they understand that unless they secure their upcoming home games beginning with game three tonight, the momentum will swing back towards the Thunder once more.
“We will need to significantly improve our performance on Wednesday,” stated Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle.
This may seem like an exaggeration from a coach, but honestly, it’s not. The Pacers haven't had any player reach 20 points in a single game during these playoffs. Collectively, they've been ahead for only 1 minute and 54 seconds throughout the entire series, which accounts for less than 2% of playtime. To put it into perspective, in Game 1, their lead lasted merely fractions of a second at around 0.0001%, despite managing to win that game. In Game 2, the Thunder dominated further by keeping the Pacers scoreless inside the paint for the whole first quarter.
Basketball points scored in the paint aren't usually stats that grab your attention immediately. Many might not have noticed at all. However, think about this: Prior to last Sunday evening, over nine years had gone by since the Pacers failed to score any points in the paint during the opening quarter of a match.
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Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton stated, "We need to step up our game when it comes to attacking the paint." He added, "This isn’t as simple as it sounds. ... Our offensive strategy relies heavily on interior play, so we must get better at driving towards the basket. When opponents converge, they create opportunities for defensive actions. There’s definitely room for improvement here. However, these guys are really agile; they’ve got excellent one-on-one defenders and formidable shot blockers too."
Despite having secured wins in 81 out of their 100 games this season (excluding the NBA Cup final defeat as it does not count towards official records), the Thunder often go unnoticed when it comes to defense. In the initial pair of matches against the Pacers, Oklahoma City excelled at defending, challenging Indiana to focus solely on taking three-point shots and limiting scoring opportunities close to the basket.
It begins by targeting Haliburton, whom the Thunder have successfully harassed during most of the first two matches.
Many of the players I defend usually handle the ball quite often," stated Thunder forward Lu Dort, who has been tasked with guarding Haliburton through most parts of the initial two matches. "What matters most to me is staying ahead of him and making things as difficult as possible. He's an exceptional player; he will score challenging baskets and make smart plays, so my focus remains on keeping up with him.
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No squad surrendered fewer paint points during the regular season compared to the Thunder. This indeed highlights a contrast in strategies; the Pacers have been scoring an average of 46 paint points across their 13 victories in these playoffs, whereas they averaged only 36 paint points in their five defeats.
I believe throughout this season, our team has excelled at scoring inside the paint, and we must assert that dominance from the start," stated Pacers forward Myles Turner. "In the second game, I reckon we managed only four to six points in the paint during the first half, which isn't typical Pacers gameplay. Relying solely on those three-pointers or mid-range shots often doesn't work out favorably.
Perhaps at home, situations might improve. The Pacers achieved a split in Oklahoma City; things could certainly be more challenging. Now, they have two days to figure out how to counteract what the Thunder’s defense has been denying them.
We'll watch the movie, identify areas where we can improve," Haliburton stated. "We understand that focusing on the paint is crucial and the paint is our ally. Generally, when we manage to assault the paint more frequently, positive outcomes tend to follow.