'We didn't even play well.' Pacers All-Star's message after Game 1 win in NBA Finals
The Indiana Pacers may have some mixed feelings about Thursday's nail-biting 111-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. But Tyrese Haliburton doesn't appear deterred.
In a video posted to social media by ESPN, Indiana's star point guard seemed amped up for Game 2 while exiting the court with fellow star teammate Pascal Siakam.
"We did our job — c'mon man, let's get greedy... we have so much to work on," Haliburton told Siakam.
Siakam, who led the Pacers with 19 points, echoed the sentiment: 'We didn't even play well.'
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Despite struggling in the first half, Haliburton ended the night with 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
That mutual hunger might be the key to Indiana's improbable postseason run, which once again found its hero in Haliburton. The 24-year-old buried his third game-winning shot of the playoffs with just 0.3 seconds remaining, giving the Pacers their first lead of the night and capping off a dramatic comeback.
Oklahoma City had history on its side throughout its nail-biting loss.
The Thunder racked up 12 first-half steals — the most in an NBA Finals half since 1998 — leading to 19 Pacers turnovers before halftime. They also managed 16 more field goal attempts than Indiana, despite shooting just 39.8% from the floor.
But the Pacers refused to fold.
Indiana clawed its way back with a dominant second half, outrebounding the Thunder 56-39 and pouring in 32 second-chance points. The performance was an astounding feat considering the Pacers rank last in offensive rebounding percentage (23.8%) and near the bottom in second-chance scoring during this postseason.
In the series opening matchup between two of the league's most cerebral teams, Indiana's grit and poise stole the spotlight.
The Game 1 win gives the Pacers a 1-0 series lead, and even more belief in their ability to deliver under pressure.
"I think as a group, we never think the game is over ever, honestly speaking," Haliburton said. "That never creeps in. I think we just keep talking as a group, how can we walk this team down. That's just the confidence that we have as a group, and I think that's a big reason why this is going on."
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Yahoo
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