As the Finals hit another decibel level, the Pacers climbed ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 by serving Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the same star treatment Tyrese Haliburton received in the first two games.
Now up 2-1 in the NBA Finals, the Pacers turned up the heat on the NBA’s MVP on Wednesday with loosely controlled aggression, hemming him with heavy contact and multiple defenders and hounding him into submission by the fourth quarter. Instead of a takeover, he took only three shots in the final 12 minutes, and the Pacers’ plan worked to perfection behind a boisterous crowd ready to bring it again Friday night.
“Yeah, they were aggressive. They were high in the pick-and-rolls. They were, like Coach said, more aggressive, more forceful,” Gilgeous-Alexander said postgame. “Yeah, starts with me. But we got to apply that pressure back, especially if you want to beat a team like that on the road. You got to be the more forceful team, for sure.”
There’s no underselling what Gilgeous-Alexander means to the Thunder. He had 72 total points in the first two games — the most ever by a player making his Finals debut and better than the previous mark set by Allen Iverson (71), a virtual one-man band with the Sixers.
With Reggie Miller seated alongside Oscar Robertson courtside, there were signs of a star takeover in the second half. But after the Thunder jumped up 89-84, Indiana was the only team to answer the bell for the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City missed nine of its final 10 shots and finished the 12-minute torture session with 18 points.
How? Why?
“It’s hard to say. It’s hard to say because I don’t see it from a bird’s-eye view right now. After watching film, we’ll definitely have a better idea,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But they were aggressive. They were heavy in the crowd. I’m not sure how many points they had, but it felt like when they scored, we’re going against a set defense, and it’s always harder against a set defense. Off the top of my head, those are a few things. I’m sure there’s probably more we can weave through when we watch film.”
He’ll see 11 misses in 20 shot attempts and the Pacers’ ability to help off shooters without paying a penalty.
Haliburton said the plan was to attack Gilgeous-Alexander through pick-and-rolls, staying high over the screener to seal any escape routes SGA could have with the ball. They lost track of him repeatedly in the second quarter with a series of spin moves and mid-range jumpers but fixed communication in the second half to take him out of the game.
“They were higher tonight in the pick-and-rolls. They were above the screen. When you come off it, you got to go backwards,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It goes back to a little bit more force. If we’re more aggressive in the pick-and-roll and setting it up, then we get a better angle. Things like that usually come down to who throws the first punch.”
In the same environment and with even more to lose in Game 4, OKC has been backed into a corner. Unless Gilgeous-Alexander throws a heavy right on Friday night, the Thunder head back home facing elimination.
“I wouldn’t say that now is the time for emotions to be thinking about how you’re feeling — emotional this, emotional that. You kind of have to cut that out and just kind of look at the substance of what it is,” said Chet Holmgren when asked to assess the Thunder’s frustration level.
“We have a great opportunity here. The great thing is we have another game coming up, Game 4. We can’t be thinking about frustration or anything. No matter how good it’s going, how bad it’s going, the focus can’t be on your emotions. It has to be on what we’re trying to accomplish, the task at hand.”
