Oklahoma City-After starting slow in the first half for a second consecutive match, the Indiana Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton could not withdraw another return Sunday evening, abandoning match 2 of the NBA 123-107 final at Oklahoma City Thunder.
Haliburton finished with 17 points and 6 assists, but was limited to 3 points and 3 assists on 1 out of 5 shot in the first half while Indiana was delayed by 59-41. It corresponded to the lowest total of Indiana in the first half of the playoffs, because the Pacers pulled only 35% as a team in the opening framework.
While Haliburton paid tribute to the fat defense of Oklahoma City – he had five reversals, his plus in all matches this season (regular season or playoffs) – he also admitted that he needed to find ways to be more impactful in the opening tip.
“That’s who they are defensively,” said Haliburton, who walked with notable lameness when leaving his post-match press conference. “They had a lot of different guys who can keep the ball, fly. … I just have to understand how to be better in the games. Congratulations to them, they are an excellent defensive team. But but [I will] Look at the film, see where I can get better. “”
Before the winner of Haliburton’s match at the end of match 1, he also had trouble doing a lot of things in the first half, collected 6 points and 3 assists on 2 shooting out of 4.
A key for Oklahoma City was to limit Haliburton’s ability to enter the paint. According to ESPN Research, Haliburton hit the paint on 9 of his 100 keys (9.0%) in match 2 after touching the painting in 7 of 108 keys in match 1 (6.5%), its two lowest percentages in 18 qualifying games this season.
“Our attack is built from the inside,” said Haliburton. “We had to do a better work in descent. They collapse and then play games there, but I thought we could improve a lot. But they are flying. They obtained great points of points.
Despite his winning summits and shots, Haliburton experienced moments during this series series when opponents found ways to limit him offensively. During matches 3 and 4 against Cleveland riders in the second round, he scored 15 points combined. He scored 8 points in a defeat of match 5 in the conference final against the New York Knicks.
But Haliburton also found a way to meet increased defense attention.
“With Tyrese, there are a lot of formulas to advance it,” said the center of Pacers Myles Turner. “There are things we have passed in our match plan that we have not done well enough today. We will get them in painting. We have been one of the best teams marking in painting all year round and we have to establish this early. We only had four or six points in painting in the first half, and it’s not Pacers basketball.”
Haliburton freed himself and started to find a rhythm in the fourth quarter, but not early enough for the Pacers to come back. He scored 12 points in the last quarter out of 5 shots out of 6 (2 out of 3 of 3) and collected two assists, the production he hopes to be able to resume match 3 of Wednesday evening.
“During a series, even in the games you lose, you try to learn from them, see where you can improve,” said Haliburton. “We had a little success there, I played a little more on the field, flying rather than if I am in this high ball screen, in which I feel like I was really successful, but it gives them a chance to really load, to pack the painting.”
The Pacers are now going to Indianapolis for the first match of the city’s NBA final since 2000, with the series tied to a match each.
“There are many different ways to choose to digest what is before you,” said Haliburton. “We just focus on taking one day. You had the split. You feel good about it. But we really wanted to play better tonight.”
