2025 NBA Finals: NBA experts debate Thunder-Pacers Game 3 storylines, what's next

After a last-second buzzer-beater from Tyrese Haliburton stole Game 1 for the Indiana Pacers, the Oklahoma City Thunder bounced backmost with an emphatic Game 2 triumph connected Sunday nighttime to adjacent the series.

The Thunder won 123-107 arsenic the league's champion defence held Haliburton to 5 points done the archetypal 3 quarters and kept different comeback retired of reach. MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, was the game's starring scorer with 34 points. The bid shifts backmost to Indiana connected Wednesday for a monolithic Game 3.

Our NBA Insiders interruption down Haliburton's Finals struggles and what the Pacers request to bash to bounce back, positive the series' biggest X factor.

What is the biggest accommodation the Pacers request to marque successful Game 3?

Kevin Pelton: It's clip for Rick Carlisle to see shrinking his rotation. As overmuch arsenic Indiana's extent has been touted successful the playoffs, the Thunder's seat goes deeper, and they extended their pb with reserves connected the tribunal successful some halves. In particular, Carlisle would beryllium omniscient to widen the minutes for Haliburton and Myles Turner. The Pacers played astir adjacent with some players connected the tribunal and were outscored by treble digits successful the minutes they rested.

Michael C. Wright: Five shots successful the archetypal fractional aren't capable for an violative motor similar Haliburton to marque his beingness felt. So, it mightiness payment Indiana for the constituent defender to asseverate himself earlier successful games, which could unfastened a fewer things for teammates. Credit Oklahoma City for playing phenomenal defence connected Haliburton. But helium scored 5 points implicit the archetypal 3 quarters connected 2-of-7 shooting, earlier pouring successful 12 points successful the last frame.

Ramona Shelburne: The Pacers person to get retired and tally more. It sounds chaotic against the Thunder, who are deadly successful the modulation game, but Indiana struggled to people connected Sunday -- and didn't enactment astir capable unit connected Oklahoma City defensively. If the Pacers tin get retired connected the interruption much -- they had conscionable 9 fast-break points successful Game 2 -- they should astatine slightest make immoderate easier opportunities.

Bobby Marks: Attack the overgarment more. The champion agelong Indiana had connected Sunday was the 7 consecutive points scored by Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam successful the 2nd quarter. The aggressiveness would yet pb to an Aaron Nesmith 3-pointer that chopped the Thunder's pb to 13 points. Before the commencement of the 4th quarter, Indiana was minus-16 successful points allowed successful the paint.

Zach Kram: In the regular season, Oklahoma City ranked 26th successful hostile escaped propulsion complaint and 29th successful escaped propulsion differential. But the Thunder person attempted much escaped throws than the Pacers successful some Finals games frankincense far. As underdogs successful this series, Indiana indispensable instrumentality vantage of this uncommon weakness, truthful figuring retired ways to make much casual points astatine the enactment -- say, by attacking the handbasket much often oregon letting Siakam enactment much against smaller defenders -- is paramount.

Tyrese Haliburton's Finals show has been _____.

Shelburne: Uneven. Haliburton didn't person a large show successful Game 1. He conscionable deed a superb changeable astatine the end. But erstwhile ESPN talked to him afterward, helium said helium was "terrible" extracurricular of the game-winning changeable and would beryllium better. Well, helium wasn't amended successful Game 2. But a batch of that is due to the fact that of however the Thunder are defending him. Much similar they did against Anthony Edwards successful the Western Conference finals, the Thunder person tried to unsmooth up Haliburton aboriginal successful possessions, get the shot retired of his hands and past contradict him the ball. His situation is the aforesaid arsenic Edwards': Find a mode to complaint done the aboriginal blitz sum and enactment aggressive.

Pelton: Predictable. As Zach noted successful our Finals archetypal look, Haliburton scored little against Oklahoma City than immoderate different hostile implicit the past 2 seasons, and I highlighted Haliburton averaging less points per matchup against Lu Dort than immoderate different subordinate who defended him regularly successful that span. The Thunder's historical defence is the main crushed they were heavy favored entering the series, and benching Isaiah Hartenstein for Cason Wallace gave Haliburton 1 less spot to onslaught successful the starting five.

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Tyrese Haliburton Learning from bid show struggles

Tyrese Haliburton Learning from bid show struggles

Kram: Saved by 1 infinitesimal of brilliance successful the clutch. Given that we're already wondering if he's capable to measurement up his crippled much going forward, ideate however overmuch louder the disapproval would beryllium if Haliburton's winning jumper astatine the extremity of Game 1 had rimmed out.

Marks: If we are judging it solely connected the 4th quarter, past Haliburton is 1 of the champion players connected the court. Unfortunately, his deficiency of aggressiveness done the archetypal 3 quarters successful Game 2 played a large relation successful wherefore this bid is tied. Before the fourth, his show was reminiscent of the Game 5 nonaccomplishment astatine New York, wherever helium took a full of 7 shots done the archetypal 3 quarters. His six shots successful the 4th fourth contiguous were 1 less than his full for the archetypal 3 quarters.

Wright: Subpar. Haliburton rightfully provided immoderate captious self-analysis aft Game 1, and he'll beryllium kicking himself again for specified a unsmooth show successful Game 2. In Game 1, OKC sent 8 antithetic defenders his way, according to ESPN Research, with Dort handling a bulk of the defending and holding him to 0-for-2 from the field. The Thunder dealt with Haliburton likewise successful Game 2, and the 25-year-old committed 5 turnovers, which tied for his astir successful immoderate game, regular play oregon playoffs. He has turned it implicit 3 oregon much times successful 3 consecutive games, his longest streak successful the regular play oregon playoffs since past March.

The X origin done 2 games has been ______ .

Marks: Isaiah Hartenstein. We don't way surface assists successful the container score, but if we did, Hartenstein would basal out. With Jalen Williams incapable to get immoderate cleanable looks successful the archetypal 4th (he took 1 shot), it was Hartenstein's 2 screens successful the aboriginal minutes of the 2nd 4th that led to 2 speedy Williams baskets.

Pelton: Shotmaking, but not successful the mode we usually deliberation of it. "Make oregon miss league" is often treated arsenic applying strictly to 3-point shooting, but there's randomness connected shotmaking wrong the arc, too. (After all, Pat Riley coined the operation backmost erstwhile 3-point rates were overmuch little than they are now.) Oklahoma City changeable 41% connected 2-point attempts successful Game 1, erstwhile GeniusIQ's quantified changeable probability metric suggested it should person been expected to marque 53% based connected the determination and benignant of shots, region of adjacent defenders and the shooter's ability. In Game 2, the Thunder bounced backmost to marque 56.5% of their 2s.

Kram: Bench scoring. Even with Haliburton's struggles, the Pacers are inactive plus-7 with him connected the level successful this series. The occupation is that they're minus-22 successful 23 minutes without him. But astatine slightest Obi Toppin contributed 17 points and 5 3-pointers successful Game 1; successful Game 2, conversely, the large seat scorers were Oklahoma City's Aaron Wiggins and Alex Caruso, who combined for 38 points and 9 3s. How the relation players execute successful Indiana alternatively of Oklahoma City could plaything the series.

Wright: The reserves for some squads. We conscionable watched 2 players -- Wiggins (18 points aft conscionable 10 successful his past 5 games) and Caruso (second 20-point crippled of the postseason aft nary specified games successful the regular season) -- harvester to outscore Indiana's full seat 38-34 successful Game 2 aft the Pacers' reserves successful Game 1 bested OKC's 39-28. They accidental the relation players are amended astatine location -- we'll spot if that holds for Game 3 successful Indianapolis.

Shelburne: I don't similar putting thing connected the officials, but the Thunder thrive connected their carnal benignant of play, and erstwhile the referees let them to play arsenic physically arsenic they did Sunday, it's precise hard to prolong discourtesy against them.

Which crippled is much indicative of however the remainder of the bid volition go?

Pelton: Game 1 was an outlier successful truthful galore ways, adjacent earlier the Pacers' improbable comeback. I'd see Game 2 much of a template for the remainder of the series, though present I deliberation it's Indiana that tin number connected amended shooting going guardant aft hitting conscionable 35% of 3-point attempts. That was the Pacers' fifth-worst accuracy of the postseason -- unsurprisingly, each 5 of their losses.

Shelburne: The Thunder outscored their opponents by the largest constituent differential successful past during the regular season, truthful it's not astonishing they've built large leads successful some games. In Game 1, OKC could ne'er widen that pb to enactment the Pacers away, which allowed them to travel back. In Game 2, OKC's defence was acold amended and much consistent, keeping the shot retired of Haliburton's hands. That makes it harder for him to make scoring opportunities for himself, which is cardinal for Indy's offense.

Kram: I hesitate to uncertainty Indiana's quality to travel backmost from ample deficits via progressively absurd late-game heroics, fixed the Pacers' way grounds with that strategy this postseason. But it's inactive hard to ideate them winning this bid if they support falling down by 15-plus points each game. At immoderate point, they'll request to commencement playing good successful the archetypal fractional (where they've averaged 43 points per crippled successful the Finals) successful summation to the 2nd (where they've scored 66 points successful each game) to person a chance.

Marks: It should beryllium however Game 2 played out, considering Oklahoma City has been the amended squad for each but .3 seconds of this series. But that does not mean the Thunder are resolved from the Game 1 collapse. The Pacers got what they wanted successful a divided and inactive person home-court advantage.

Wright: Indiana dealt with a 15-point shortage successful Game 1 and trailed successful Game 2 by arsenic galore arsenic 23 points. So, there's a inclination present that leans much toward what we saw successful Game 2 continuing for the remainder of this series. Let's beryllium honorable here: Most folks predicted an OKC rout successful less than 7 games. That lone looks person to coming existent aft Game 2, adjacent though we'd astir apt each similar to spot Indiana proceed to scrap the mode it has this full postseason.

What's 1 under-the-radar storyline for Game 3?

Wright: Pascal Siakam dropped 21 points oregon much successful 8 of 16 games coming into the Finals, including a trio of 30-pieces successful the Eastern Conference finals. That begs the question of whether we'll spot Spicy P earnestly vigor up sometime successful this series. With Dort locking down Haliburton the mode helium has these archetypal 2 games, Indiana needs much from Siakam, who hasn't yet taken much than 15 shots successful this series. In the Eastern Conference finals, Siakam attempted astatine slightest 16 shots successful each triumph and took 14 oregon less successful 2 losses.

Shelburne: The Thunder's extent is simply a immense vantage for them, particularly arsenic the bid extends. It alleviates the unit connected their relation players successful immoderate peculiar crippled due to the fact that truthful galore guys tin spell off, similar Wiggins (18 points) did connected Sunday. Role players don't ever play arsenic good connected the road, however. And the Thunder chopped into the effectiveness of Hartenstein by moving him to the seat the archetypal fewer games.

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Daigneault: Jalen Williams was immense successful Game 2 win

Thunder manager Mark Daigneault speaks highly of Jalen Williams' show successful Oklahoma City's Game 2 triumph vs. the Pacers.

Pelton: Rebounding. Oklahoma City gave up violative rebounds connected much than 30% of Indiana's misses successful Game 1 portion coming up with violative rebounds little than 20% of the time. In Game 2, the Thunder had 4 much violative boards than the Pacers successful an identical fig of opportunities. That's not arsenic important a battleground arsenic turnovers and 3s, but Indiana needs to travel retired up connected the solid to vie successful this series.

Marks: The non-SGA minutes. It shows the greatness of the Thunder's extent erstwhile you tin instrumentality retired the MVP and inactive outscore your opponents by 10 points done 7 minutes of the 4th quarter. If the Pacers are going to triumph this series, they request to instrumentality vantage of Gilgeous-Alexander's clip disconnected the court.

Kram: After Holmgren and Hartenstein didn't stock the tribunal successful Game 1, the Thunder utilized a double-big look for 5 minutes successful Game 2. They won those minutes by 4 points, with Mark Daigneault strategically utilizing the duo erstwhile Turner went to the bench, meaning the bigs didn't person to interest astir Indiana's five-out spacing. Holmgren and Hartenstein truthful combined for 50 minutes successful Game 2, versus 41 successful Game 1. Given that palmy change, Daigneault mightiness telephone connected the double-big alignment adjacent much successful Game 3.