**Source: Pool / Getty**
The NBA Finals are coming to Indianapolis with the series tied 1-1 after the Pacers got blown out in Game 2 by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
There’s no doubt that the Pacers’ performance in Game 2 was disappointing, and that they, and specifically Tyrese Haliburton, must play a whole lot better if they’re going to have a chance to pull off the series upset. However, if you had told Pacers fans that when the series came to Indy for Game 3, that the Pacers would be tied with the Thunder 1-1, they would gladly take it.
After all, realistically the Thunder should be up 2-0. The Pacers led all of .3 seconds in Game 1, but it was the .3 seconds that mattered most. For most of the first two games of this series the Pacers have not played particularly well, with Game 1 featuring an insane number of turnovers, while in Game 2 the shots were just not going in. Yet somehow, they still managed to steal a win in Oklahoma City.
Now they return to the friendly confines of Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where they have a 6-2 record this postseason. The Thunder, meanwhile, have been much more human on the road than at home, going 4-3 this postseason. Beyond the win/loss records, the stats also back up the narrative that the Pacers are great at home, while the Thunder struggle more than normal on the road.
It won’t be easy; the Pacers are going to be underdogs in every game of this series. Even if the Thunder aren’t on the same level when they’re on the road vs at home, they’re still a team that won 68 games, and can run away with any contest if you give them the chance. Games 3 and 4 can accurately be described as “must-wins”, and the Pacers will need to be at their best.
But for the Pacers to have any serious thoughts of beating the Thunder, they needed to take at least 1 of the first 2. They’ve done so, and now the series is a Best-Of-5, with 3 of those 5 taking place in Indy. In a series that many expected to be a cakewalk for the Thunder, the Pacers have given themselves a chance.
During the Monday edition of The Ride With JMV, John spoke to former NBA guard and current Pacers Radio analyst Eddie Gill about the loss in Game 2, and the series going forward. Listen to that down below and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
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