Well, the Pacers have done it again! Going into Game 1, the general notion about the game was that there was little to no possibility of the No.1 seed in the West losing it to the Pacers. But lo and behold, led by top clutch players in the league, they scored a 111-110 victory over the Thunder. And who got the winning shot? Well, Haliburton, of course!
With just 0.3 seconds left of the game, the OKC never saw it coming. Until the fourth quarter, to be honest, no one could have predicted it. Indiana was down by 15 points, but Hali is anything but predictable. And his game-saving late shots have done it again, beginning with the Bucks, the Cavaliers, later the Knicks, and finally with the Thunder. Hali said post game, “I’m obviously confident in my ability…It’s a shot I worked on a million times and I’ll work on it a million times more.”
And it seems the Pacers coach also agrees with him. After Aaron Nesmith pulled down an SGA missed jumper, Carlisle did not call a timeout. Instead, he trusted Tyrese Haliburton to take control. No timeout. No second-guessing. Just instincts and confidence in your star playmaker. “We have a lot of experience in these kind of games,” said Carlisle. “We just try to get the ball in his hands as much as possible in those situations.” So, with the injury reports clearing Hali for the NBA Finals Game 2, we are eager to see more of his on-court moments.
Nov 17, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) celebrates a made basket in the second half against the Miami Heat at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Though not just Haliburton, most of Indiana’s bench is reported to be back for round two. However, Jarace Walker will remain absent from the second game due to an ankle injury, as announced by coach Rick Carlisle. And as for Isaiah Jackson, he will not be joining the locker room anytime soon. With that, let us now take a look at what to expect from the Finals Game 2.
Will the Indiana Pacers be able to maintain their lead in the Finals?
OKC’s defense in the NBA Finals Game 1 pushed the Pacers to 20 or more turnovers within just the first half of the game, a number unseen in almost two decades. So, what did Indiana do? They dialed back on their tempo, a team known for their fast-paced attack, ever so slightly, went from 54 first-half possessions to 47 in the second half. And as for their shooting, still the best in the league, with 49.6% from the field, 40.5% from the threes, and 61.2% true shooting percentage. The Pacers’ bench now just needs to continue with their smart choices and keep the momentum going. So, let’s now see which starting lineup Carlisle might have in his mind for Game 2:
Position
Starter
2nd
3rd
PG
Tyrese Haliburton
T.J. McConnell
RayJ Dennis
SG
Andrew Nembhard
Ben Sheppard
SF
Aaron Nesmith
Bennedict Mathurin
Johnny Furphy
PF
Pascal Siakam
Obi Toppin
James Johnson
C
Myles Turner
Thomas Bryant
Tony Bradley
By the middle of the game, OKC had already secured a 52-45 lead. Pushing the Indiana locker room to one of the most turnovers in the first half, making league history. But the OKC got overwhelmed on the glass, when Indiana held a decisive 56-39 rebounding edge. Meanwhile, their key piece, Chet Holmgren, finished the game with only six points and six rebounds in 24 minutes. And if Game 1 is any indication, Mark Daigneault needs to reconsider their small-ball experiment. Rebounding remains a key factor, without which the Thunder are about to lose one of their most reliable advantages. With that let’s now see the OKC starting lineups for Game 2:
Position
Starter
2nd
3rd
PG
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Ajay Mitchell
SG
Cason Wallace
Alex Caruso
SF
Luguentz Dort
Isaiah Joe
Kenrich Williams
PF
Jalen Williams
Aaron Wiggins
Dillon Jones
C
Chet Holmgren
Isaiah Hartenstein
Jaylin Williams
So, who are you going to cheer for in Game 2?
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