In the first 47 minutes and 40 seconds of the first game of the NBA final, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander completely defeated Tyrese Haliburton in a game with star Point Guards.
But, as Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after Indiana’s excellent comeback, defeated the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals: It was a 48-minute game. And, in the last 20 seconds of Thursday night, Halliburton and the Pacers changed the narrative again.
First, it was Gilgeous-Alexander who scored 38 points but hit 14 points, and he lacked a clean mid-range jumper, his expertise that would give the Thunder a three-point lead with 10 seconds left. Halliburton then again plays the role of a road destroyer, hitting the circus with the shooting that might not be quite As spectacular as the treble miracle at Madison Square Garden on May 21, but unlike that shot, this one won the Regulation Pacers race.
As a result, Indiana - Haliburton had 0.3 seconds left on the shot from the three-pointer, somehow left the salary center, leaving the salary with a 111-110 victory and injecting a lot of life into the series.
For most of the first game, Thunder decided on the terms of participation. They forced Indiana (usually good at caring for the ball) to a team that swung 24 turnovers across the place, while Oklahoma City had only six turnovers.
The Thunders had 16 more shots than the Pacers, but the Pacers hit 18 3-pointers, including 6 of 6 in the fourth quarter - the Thunder easily did it and missed a bunch of them (11-30). This put Indiana (a team that has made a comeback again and again in these playoffs in the main position.
And, because he has had many times in the playoffs, Haliburton delivered.
There are still many reasons to think that Oklahoma City is a deserved favorite in this series. But the second half of Thursday's game revealed a blueprint: The Pacers took much better care of the ball, and their high octane offense began. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City made an unfavorable offense, and Gilgeous-Alexander encountered several key misses at the end.
So, just like they played against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Eastern Conference Finals in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, the Pacers both won the first game.
So we have a series. -Tim Bontemps
Thunder requires their NBA best defense for 48 minutes instead of 24 minutes
The Thunders showed defensive anger in the first half, forcing 19 turnovers while scoring the Pacers 45 points. But the second half did not end.
Maybe it took the Pacers a few quarters to get used to the Thunder’s defensive pressure, but Indiana looked comfortable after halftime, scoring 66 points in the second half – a 35-point fourth quarter, interrupted by Halliburton’s winning shot to ease frustration.
Indiana also had only six turnovers in the second half, with their fast paced, declining offensive style. - Tim MacMahon
Another new guide to the ridiculous pacemaker comeback: Cutting errors
If this playoff taught us anything, it is that the Pacers can never figure it out. After trailing 15 points in the fourth quarter, Indiana rushed back to the first game, with another victory with 0.3 seconds left, the Pacers' only lead.
This has become a series staple for the Pacers in this playoff game: a comeback in the fourth quarter frustrated each of their first three opponents.
This Indiana’s comeback was drawn to some clutch 3-point shots from Myles Turner, Obi Toppin and Aaron Nesmith and better care for the ball after a record first-half turnover.
Then, of course, Haliburton hit another inning to make the deal. - Jamal Collier
What to pay attention to in Game 2
Game 2: Thunder Pacers (8pm EST Sunday, ABC)
Can Indiana do it again? This is the Pacers' third straight series to finish their first game on the road, and in the last two, they have also won Game 2 to lead 2-0.
Overall, even the team that was the first game of the series was a favorite team. In this case, the higher seeds have been 21-7 in Game 2 with a difference of 2.2.1 points.
In these playoffs, teams that have lost Game 1 at home have outscore opponents by an average of 12 points in Game 2. There have been more than enough blowout wins (including Oklahoma City beating the Denver Nuggets by 43 in Game 2 this season) to outweight only three Game 2s that have gone to road teams -- Indiana twice and the Knicks over the Boston Celtics in the second round.
To some extent, disappointing in Game 2 is an inevitable product of human nature. These teams have achieved their goals by ensuring the split in the first two games, thus giving them a home advantage in the series.
Will walkers be dissatisfied and get potential customers proven to be insurmountable. It was by far the toughest test to date with a Thunder team who lost two seasons only twice in a row . - Kevin Pelton