Cason Wallace snaps out of slump in Thunder's Game 5 win over Pacers
Cason Wallace snaps out of slump in Thunder's Game 5 win over Pacers
Backpedaling to the right corner, Cason Wallace finally had a heavy toll lifted off his shoulders. He swished in his first outside bucket of the NBA Finals. He previously missed his first eight attempts. And once you see one go in, more soon follow.
Wallace finished with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting and two rebounds. He shot 3-of-4 from 3. He also had four steals and one block. This was easily his best NBA Finals performance after his playing time dwindled.
The Oklahoma City Thunder did their job with a 120-109 Game 5 win over the Indiana Pacers. A 3-2 series lead in the 2025 NBA Finals has them on the cusp of their first championship.
The Thunder needed this type of production from Wallace. The 21-year-old struggled with confidence problems early on. He finally snapped out of it in Game 5. Perfect timing, too, as the Thunder's depth outplayed the Pacers' bench.
"Just staying confident, knowing that they're going to fall eventually. I was in a shooting slump. So, getting that first three to go in really was good for me," Wallace said. "I put the work in every day, so I knew it was a matter of time."
And then there's the steals. Wallace was a defensive monster. Usually reliable on that end, the Pacers put him through the blender at the start of the NBA Finals with constant switches. That didn't work out this time. He was a step ahead of their passes and racked up plenty of steals.
Since Game 1, the Thunder and Pacers were about even the next three games in the turnover department. That was great news for Indiana. It's superb ball security took away OKC's defensive superpower. Until Game 5. Things went back the Thunder's way. Wallace played a role in that as he made the most of his bench role after being a starter.
"Yeah, I mean, he's going to put us in the best position to win games. I can't be selfish. If it's a better look or option for us, let's go with that. My job is to go out there and play as hard always I can every time I'm on the court," Wallace said on being benched. "Cheer on my teammates. I'm going to just keep doing that."
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