In what was an improbable collapse by the Oklahoma City Thunder late in a game that felt in control the entire time, Paycom Center went silent upon Tyrese Haliburton hitting a midrange jumper to take the lead with 0.3 seconds remaining in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. That gave the Indiana Pacers their first lead of the entire game, which was all it took to shock the world and take the 1-0 series lead.
But this wasn’t the first time Paycom Center experienced a gut punch to kick off a series. In fact, the way that Game 1 of the NBA Finals concluded on Thursday night felt eerily similar to Game 1 of the Thunder’s second-round series against the Denver Nuggets. Both contests were ones in which Oklahoma City held what felt like a very safe lead late in the game, only to result in a Thunder loss on a shot in the final seconds.
In hindsight, that Denver heartbreaker was the best thing to ever happen to the Thunder. Not only did it expedite Oklahoma City’s young roster’s growth and maturity in a postseason setting, but it also now serves as an invaluable experience that will help the Thunder potentially bounce back and ultimately win an NBA Championship. Now, OKC knows exactly what it feels like to drop a series opener at home — especially a heartbreaking one — and understands it’s not time to panic. The Thunder should still feel very good about its chances to win Game 2 and even up the series before it pivots to Indiana for Games 3 and 4.
After the Thunder’s Game 1 loss against the Nuggets, a dominant 43-point lead came right after in Game 2. While there’s no expectation that Oklahoma City comes out and throws that powerful of a punch on Sunday against the Pacers, there is a sense that it may be an impressive showing from the Thunder. All season long, and even in the playoffs, OKC has been among the best at bouncing back from adversity. Furthermore, the Thunder has been phenomenal at home in the postseason, with the only two losses at Paycom Center thus far being this pair of last-second defeats.
The Pacers will be tough to beat at home, where they will presumably shoot very well from the floor and put together back-to-back quality offensive performances. But in the meantime, it’s all about evening up the series at 1-1. Game 2 is a pivotal one for the Thunder. If it’s a tied series heading into Game 3, this will essentially become a five-game series and a clean slate. But going down 0-2 with a pair of road games ahead could be detrimental. The first team to four wins in this series will hoist the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, and the Pacers have already earned one victory.
Game 3 will tip off on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. CT at Paycom Center. From there, Game 3 will take place on Wednesday before Game 4 on Friday, both at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.