NBA Finals: Thunder's second-quarter surge, struggles in the paint doom Pacers in Game 2

OKLAHOMA CITY - For a time in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, it looked like the Indiana Pacers would hang in there.




After a back-and-forth start to the first quarter, the Pacers took a 20-17 lead off a Tyrese Haliburton three-pointer with 2:43 left.




That turned out to be the high point for the Blue and Gold. The Thunder responded with a crucial 9-0 run to end the quarter and extended the lead by turning that into a 25-7 surge in the second quarter.




By the time the Pacers caught their breath, they were staring down at 42-27 deficit. But Oklahoma City wasn't finished. After Aaron Nesmith scored on a layup, the Thunder responded with a 10-0 run that made it a 23-point lead at 52-29.




The Pacers never fully recovered. Though they came back with a 10-0 burst of their own to pull within 13, OKC kept them at arm's length the rest of the way.




Oklahoma City shot well in the first half (51%) and forced the Pacers to settle for low-percentage shots. Indiana couldn't consistently get into the paint, and when they did, the Thunder disrupted passing lanes or batted balls away.




The Pacers shot just 35% in the first half and managed just 41 points.




The result: a 123-107 Game 2 loss that saw both teams pull their starters late.




The Thunder hounded the Pacers defensively and dominated in the paint, outscoring Indiana 42-34. Most of the Pacers' high-percentage looks came late in the third and fourth quarters, when the outcome was already decided.




They simply could not pull off one of their signature runs to close the gap and put the Thunder on their heels.




League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander certainly got his points, scoring 34 on the night. He added 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. The Thunder boasted a balanced scoring attack that saw Jalen Williams score 19 and Chet Holmgren tally 15.




Oklahoma City held a 48-34 advantage in bench scoring, with reserves Alex Caruso (20 points) and Aaron Wiggins (18 points, 5-8 from three-point range) leading the way.




Seven Pacers players finished in double figures, led by Haliburton's 17 points.

'Were going to have to be a lot better'

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle doesn't believe his team asserted itself.




"You can't be a team that's reactive and expect to be successful or have consistency. So, we're going to have to be a lot better on Wednesday," he said.




The bulk of Haliburton's points came in the fourth quarter. He couldn't rally his team after the poor start, and the Pacers spent too much time playing from behind without chipping away at the lead. Indiana's star blamed himself for a pair of poor starts.




"I think I've had two really poor first halves," Haliburton said. "I have to figure out how to be better earlier in games. Kudos to them, they're a great defensive team."




"There's a lot more to the game than just scoring. Everybody's got to do more. It starts with the best players, it starts with Tyrese and Pascal and Myles," Carlisle said. "And then it goes from there. People shouldn't just look at [Haliburton's] points and assists and judge how he played-or judge how any of our guys played just on-that's not how our team is built. We're an ecosystem that has to function together."




The Pacers noted their struggles in the paint. It felt like the Thunder managed to get easy shots, especially in the first half, while the Pacers struggled for every point. They seemed to be united in their message: win the paint, win the series.




"We've got to do a better job of getting in the paint," Haliburton said. "That's a lot easier said than done. I feel in the first half, we were just moving the ball on the outside and I don't think we had a single point in the paint in the first quarter, if I'm not mistaken. Our offense is built from the inside out. We've got to do a better job of getting downhill, [making them] collapse, and then make plays from there."




It's easier said than done because the Thunder have dynamic one-on-one defenders, good rim protectors and exceptional team defense. Combine that with an efficient offense, and it makes it difficult for opponents. The Pacers found that out on Sunday night.




"We've got to find ways to get the ball [in the paint]," Carlisle said. "There are so many things that have to go right on a set of two possessions to get the ball into the heart of their defense. You've got to get a stop and a rebound. You've got to get the ball up the floor without a turnover and then you've got to be able to get it into the lane and to the rim. It's a tough task."




"There are things we went over in our game plan that we didn't execute well enough today," said Myles Turner, who scored 16 points. "We'll get in the paint. I think that we've been one of the better teams getting to the paint all year, and we have to establish that early."

Shifting to Indianapolis

The series shifts to Indianapolis for Game 3. By splitting the first two games, the Pacers and Thunder have effectively turned the NBA Finals into a best-of-five series.




It's imperative for the team to put Game 2 in the rearview mirror and come back rejuvenated for the next one.




"We've just gotta turn the page, focus on Game 3," said Pascal Siakam, who scored 15 points on a 3-of-11 shooting night. "That's the biggest game of the year, so we've just gotta to go out there and go back home. Our fans, obviously I know they're super excited to have us and we're excited to be back in our home arena. Just ready to compete, play hard. That's our focus. As hard as this one is, we've just gotta move on to the next one."




The team is looking forward to hosting Indianapolis' first NBA Finals game in 25 years.




"I just know Gainbridge is going to be rocking, man," Turner said. "I love our environment. You give credit where credit is due, and this is a great playoff environment. I think Oklahoma City did a great job showing out with their fans. I expect it to be a lot louder in Indianapolis. I know how long this city has been waiting for this Finals experience, and they're going to show up."




"These fans took it to another level tonight, and that's how Gainbridge is going to have to be for us to have a chance to be successful," Carlisle said.




"We definitely wanted to play better tonight. Our processes need to be a lot better for us to be successful. Still a race to the first to four [wins]," Haliburton said. "We love playing at home, love playing in front of our fans. Our fans are amazing. Just see where we can get better and take it a day at a time."




Game 3 is Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tip is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.



via: https://fox59.com/sports/pacers/nba-finals-thunders-second-quarter-surge-struggles-in-the-paint-doom-pacers-in-game-2/