Tyrese Haliburton stated it plainly after the Indiana Pacers’ 123-107 loss to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder in Recreation 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night time.
“I believe I’ve had two actually poor first halves,” Haliburton stated. “I simply have to determine the right way to be higher earlier in video games. However kudos to them. They’re an amazing defensive workforce.”
Now, with the best-of-seven collection tied 1-1, Haliburton and the Pacers know they have to reply rapidly because the Finals shift to Indianapolis for Video games 3 and 4 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“We’ve simply bought to show the web page, concentrate on Recreation 3,” All-Star ahead Pascal Siakam stated. “That’s the largest recreation of the yr.”
Thunder’s Large Second-Quarter Run Turns Recreation 2
The Pacers regarded poised early. With 2:43 left within the first quarter, Haliburton knocked down a 27-foot 3-pointer to provide Indiana a 20-17 lead.
However Oklahoma Metropolis’s response was emphatic. The Thunder closed the primary quarter on a 9-0 run after which dominated the following stretch, outscoring Indiana, 35-9, over a span of almost 10 minutes.
“That was an enormous downside,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle stated. “You possibly can’t be a workforce that’s reactive and count on to achieve success or have consistency.”
Oklahoma Metropolis led 59-41 at halftime and by no means regarded again. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 34 factors on 11-for-21 taking pictures. The Thunder shot 48.8 p.c from the sector and managed the rebounding battle (43-35), factors within the paint (42-34), and bench scoring (48-34).
The Pacers struggled to generate offense within the paint. Indiana scored zero factors within the paint within the first quarter and was outscored 26-12 in that space within the first half.
“We’ve got to do a greater job of attending to the paint,” Carlisle stated. “I really feel like within the first half we have been simply shifting the ball on the surface, and I don’t suppose we had a single level within the paint within the first quarter.”
Haliburton completed with 17 factors — 12 of them coming within the fourth quarter — however struggled to seek out rhythm early. He made simply two subject targets via the primary three quarters and dedicated 5 turnovers.
“Our offense is constructed from the inside-out, and we’ve to do a greater job getting downhill,” Haliburton stated. “They collapse and make performs from there. We are able to do a greater job, watch the movie, and see the place we are able to get higher going into Recreation 3.”
Pacers Know Haliburton Should Set the Tone
The Thunder’s aggressive point-of-attack protection and rim safety clearly disrupted Indiana’s offense in Recreation 2. Oklahoma Metropolis swarmed the ball early, clogged driving lanes, and compelled Indiana into passive perimeter motion — significantly throughout its decisive first-half run.
Haliburton acknowledged that Oklahoma Metropolis’s defensive power set the tone and stated the Pacers should do a greater job of matching that depth from the beginning, particularly when making an attempt to determine their paint-based assault.
“We’ve got to do a greater job of attending to the paint. It is so much simpler stated than carried out,” Haliburton stated. “I really feel like within the first half we have been simply shifting the ball on the surface and I do not suppose we had a single level within the paint within the first quarter, if I am not mistaken. … So you understand, our offense is constructed from the inside-out, and we’ve to do a greater job getting downhill. They collapse and make performs from there. I believed we may enhance so much there.”
That incapability to generate constant paint strain proved particularly expensive within the first half, when Indiana failed to attain a single level inside in the course of the opening quarter. Haliburton stated that should change in Recreation 3 — beginning with attacking Oklahoma Metropolis’s protection with extra objective.
“However yeah, man, they’re flying round,” Haliburton defined. “They have nice point-of-attack defenders and nice rim protectors. We are able to do a greater job, watch the movie, and see the place we are able to get higher going into Recreation 3.”
Carlisle stated the Pacers should keep away from the kind of reactive play that value them within the first half of Recreation 2, when Oklahoma Metropolis’s 35-9 run blew the sport open and put Indiana in a gap it by no means escaped.
“You possibly can’t spot an amazing workforce like this 15, 18, 20 factors and count on to have the ability to chase them down,” Carlisle stated. “It simply doesn’t work that means.”
Haliburton, whose late-game heroics sealed Indiana’s beautiful Recreation 1 win, is aware of he should lead by instance — and assist his workforce begin sooner. He stated the main target now’s on controlling what lies forward, not what has already occurred.
“It’s nonetheless a race, first to 4,” he stated. “We’re going to our house court docket tied 1-1, and we love taking part in at house. Love taking part in in entrance of our followers. Our followers are wonderful.”
With the collection shifting to Indianapolis, the Pacers will rely on Haliburton to set the tone early and get their assault flowing. Via two video games, the All-NBA level guard has acknowledged that his gradual first halves have harm Indiana.
“I believe via the course of the collection or via these first two video games, I’m studying the place my spots are and the place I could be higher,” he stated. “So we’ll take the nice and the dangerous, watch movie and see the place we are able to enhance the following recreation.”
Gainbridge Fieldhouse Set To Host NBA Finals
Now comes a pivotal stretch. Video games 3 and 4 will mark the primary NBA Finals video games performed in Indiana since 2000. The Pacers have been wonderful at house, going 6-2 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse this postseason.
“I simply know Gainbridge goes to be rocking,” heart Myles Turner stated. “I really like the environment. You give credit score the place credit score is due — this was an amazing atmosphere [in OKC] tonight. However I count on it to be so much louder in Indianapolis.”
The Pacers even have a historical past of responding properly after losses. They’re 4-0 in these playoffs following a loss and have received 11 straight video games after a double-digit defeat courting again to March 10.
“We’ve been resilient all yr,” Turner stated. “We’ll regroup.”
Siakam added: “I don’t suppose it’s a comfort. I believe you wish to win each recreation you play. We’re not proud of how the sport went in the present day. We’ve simply bought to show the web page, concentrate on Recreation 3.”
Carlisle stated the important thing now’s easy: a fast psychological reset, which has fueled Indiana’s capacity to bounce again all through the postseason.
“Every day, as you’re on a playoff run, is sort of a new day,” he stated. “I discover that wanting again is a harmful factor. We’ve bought to maintain our eye firmly the place it must be, which is on now and the following factor.”
The Pacers will search for a greater begin — and a extra aggressive first half from their All-NBA level guard — when the collection resumes on Wednesday night time.
