OKLAHOMA CITY — For higher or worse, the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder had an eerily acquainted feeling when the ultimate buzzer sounded Thursday evening.
The Indiana Pacers had stolen Recreation 1 of the NBA Finals, taking their first lead of the evening on Tyrese Haliburton’s 21-foot pull-up jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining. The Thunder blew a 15-point lead within the fourth quarter of their 111-110 dwelling loss.
It was solely Oklahoma Metropolis’s second dwelling lack of this postseason, and it unfolded in very related trend to the Thunder’s earlier defeat on the Paycom Middle. In that occasion, the Denver Nuggets rallied from a 13-point deficit halfway via the fourth quarter to win the Western Convention semifinals collection opener, taking the lead on Aaron Gordon’s 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining.
“Properly, it sucks,” Thunder ahead Jalen Williams mentioned, summarizing the sting of letting the Finals opener slip away. “However we’ve got been right here earlier than.”
Oklahoma Metropolis, which has the second-youngest Finals roster in NBA historical past, can level to their collapse towards the Nuggets as proof that this staff is able to bouncing again from an excruciating series-opening setback. The Thunder responded to blow out the Nuggets by 43 factors in Recreation 2 and received the collection in seven video games.
“The way you lose would not actually matter,” mentioned Thunder celebrity Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whose 38 factors have been the third-most ever in a Finals debut, in accordance with ESPN Analysis. “Clearly it sucks — last-second shot, the power within the area and stuff like that. However we misplaced on the finish of the day. We misplaced Recreation 1.
“We have misplaced Recreation 1 earlier than. On the opposite aspect of that, we got here out a greater staff. That is our aim.”
The Thunder are 4-0 following losses throughout this playoff run, successful the following recreation by a median margin of 20.5 factors. Oklahoma Metropolis misplaced consecutive video games solely twice throughout its 68-win common season.
Oklahoma Metropolis coach Mark Daigneault challenged his staff to “get ourselves to zero,” which is Thunder jargon for not permitting the emotion of a recreation to linger, win or lose.
“The playoffs take you to the restrict,” Daigneault mentioned. “They put your again towards the wall — in video games, in collection. When you make it this far, you need to endure to try this. It provides you wealthy experiences you can draw on. The largest expertise we have had is knowing that each recreation’s new recreation. A very powerful recreation within the collection is at all times the following one, whatever the consequence. We might’ve preferred to win tonight, however tonight was a place to begin, not an finish level.”
The Thunder knew all concerning the Pacers’ comeback prowess earlier than falling sufferer to it in Recreation 1.
This victory marked the fifth time this postseason that Indiana rallied from a deficit of at the very least 15 factors to win. That is probably the most by any staff in a playoff run since at the very least 1998, in accordance with ESPN Analysis.
“You tip your hat to them,” Daigneault mentioned. “They made performs. They’ve accomplished all of it playoffs. That is a part of their identification. They’ve quite a lot of perception. They by no means assume they’re out of it, so that they play with nice confidence even when their again’s towards the wall. They proved that tonight.”
Thursday’s recreation additionally marked a continuation of probably the most spectacular particular person clutch runs in NBA historical past. Haliburton sank his fourth game-tying or go-ahead bucket within the remaining 5 seconds of a recreation throughout these playoffs. He hit this shot over Oklahoma Metropolis guard Cason Wallace, who has earned a fame as an elite on-ball defender.
“You do not need to reside and die with the most effective participant on the opposite staff taking a game-winner with a pair seconds left,” mentioned Alex Caruso, the oldest participant on the Oklahoma Metropolis roster and the one one who has received an NBA championship. “You need to attempt to management the sport coming down so it would not fall into that.”
The Thunder failed to try this within the Finals opener.
Oklahoma Metropolis’s top-ranked protection dominated the primary half, holding the Pacers to 45 factors whereas forcing 20 turnovers. Nevertheless, the Thunder transformed these turnovers into solely 9 factors, permitting Indiana to stay inside placing distance.
Indiana discovered an offensive consolation zone after halftime. The Pacers protected the ball a lot better, committing solely 5 turnovers within the second half, after they scored 66 factors whereas capturing 51.1% from the ground, together with 10-of-20 from 3-point vary.
However the Thunder nonetheless had ample alternative to shut out the sport. Oklahoma Metropolis missed its remaining three pictures from the ground after the Pacers made it a one-possession recreation. That included a few errant pictures by Gilgeous-Alexander — a missed layup in visitors with 1:07 remaining and a midrange fadeaway that did not fall one possession earlier than Haliburton’s game-winner.
“The collection is not first to at least one; it is first to 4,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned. “Now we have 4 extra video games to get; they’ve three. That is simply the place we’re. We obtained to know that and we obtained to get to 4 earlier than they get to 3 if we need to win the NBA championship.
“It is that easy. It is not rocket science. We misplaced Recreation 1. Now we have to be higher.”
