NBA Finals Game 2: Pacers Look to Take 2-0 Lead, Thunder Seek to Even Series
The NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV continues tonight with Game 2, as the Indiana Pacers look to take a 2-0 lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pacers enter the game with a 1-0 series lead after a thrilling Game 1, which saw Tyrese Haliburton hit a go-ahead bucket with 0.3 seconds left to cap a 15-point fourth-quarter comeback.
According to the NBA, the stakes are high for both teams, with the Pacers aiming to become just the third team ever to win both Games 1 and 2 of the Finals on the road. The Thunder, on the other hand, are seeking to even the series and respond to their Game 1 loss.
The NBA reports that the top two win percentages since January 1 (regular season and postseason) are held by the Thunder and Pacers, with neither team having lost a Game 2 all Playoffs. The series showdown between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton was a highlight of Game 1, with both young guards having their fingerprints all over the game.
As noted by the NBA, Haliburton is now 5-for-5 this postseason on go-ahead or game-tying shots in the final 15 seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime. The Thunder, however, are not ones to dwell on past losses, with coach Mark Daigneault stating that the team has a "short memory" and a "steady mindset."
The NBA quotes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as saying, "I let the game go as soon as I learned the lessons from it. There’s nothing else you can do… The team has the same demeanor… you don’t have to rile guys up or lock guys in. We all have the same goal… that’s what’s on the focus of our mind."
In addition to the on-court action, the series also features a unique Canadian connection between Gilgeous-Alexander and Andrew Nembhard, who have been friends and competitors since they were kids. The NBA notes that Nembhard spent over eight minutes guarding Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 1, holding him to 33.3% shooting and two turnovers.
The NBA also reports that the Thunder are the second-youngest team in the shot clock era to reach the Finals, but they have played with poise beyond their years. The team has confidence and wisdom due to the situations they’ve been in, according to coach Mark Daigneault.
As the series shifts to Game 2, the Pacers look to continue their trend of rising when it matters most. The NBA quotes Myles Turner as saying, "It’s an overall belief in ourselves. It allows us to lose ourselves in the moment… I think our team thrives in adversity."
The game is set to tip off at 8 ET on ABC, with the Thunder seeking to even the series and the Pacers looking to take a commanding 2-0 lead.
Coleman Ayers, a rising hoops creator and coach, and the founder of By Any Means Basketball, shares his thoughts on what Finals moment left the biggest imprint on his basketball brain.
Ayres notes, "It has to be that 2016 Finals – Kyrie’s shot. Honestly, the whole Finals. But that Game 7 series-clinching shot is the one that lives with me the most…"
The NBA will continue to provide updates and analysis throughout the series.
