Obi Toppin sends confident message after miracle Game 1 comeback
The post Obi Toppin sends confident message after miracle Game 1 comeback appeared first on ClutchPoints.
The Indiana Pacers continued their run of miracle comebacks in the playoffs following their stunning, 111-110 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. After trailing by 15 points, the Pacers rallied back, capped off by a Tyrese Haliburton game-winner, to steal Game 1 and take a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals. Following the win, Pacers wing Obi Toppin spoke about the confidence the team has.
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'I never say think. I feel like we can win every single game. If we lose, it's really our fault and our mistakes. We're living in the moment. We won a game in the Finals, and we got three more to go,' Toppin said. 'We've been in positions like this throughout the whole season, not just in the playoffs. . .We know what we got to do, who we got to give the ball to, and just watch magic happen.'
While Haliburton's game-winner was certainly the talk of Game 1, Obi Toppin also came through in big way for the Pacers as they made their comeback against the Thunder. He finished with 17 points, five rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes off the bench. He shot 6-of-9 from the field and 5-of-8 from the 3-point line.
Toppin has been a key player for the Pacers during the regular season and through their playoff run to the NBA Finals. During the Eastern Conference Finals, he got the opportunity to help eliminate the New York Knicks, the team that traded him to the Pacers.
In 17 playoff games to this point, Toppin has played a little over 17 minutes per game and has taken around six shot attempts per game. He's been averaging 9.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists with splits of 51.7% shooting from the field, 34% shooting from the 3-point line and 79.2% shooting from the free-throw line.
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With the Pacers stealing homecourt advantage momentarily from the Thunder in Game 1, they will look to continue shocking the NBA world in Game 2 on Sunday, June 8.
Related: Why Thunder enter Game 2 confident in its 'response' vs. Pacers
Related: Stephen A. Smith still won't call Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton a superstar
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Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms The blueprint to the Thunder's 2025 championship started in 2007 2007 - Sonics GM Sam Presti sign-and-trade Rashard Lewis to the Magic for a conditional 2nd-round pick. 2007 - Sonics trade the 2nd-round pick to the Phoenix Suns for Kurt Thomas and two first-round picks. 2008 - Sonics used the Suns' pick (No. 24) to draft Serge Ibaka ... team officially moves to OKC later that year. 2016 - Thunder trade Serge Ibaka to the Magic for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and the draft rights to Domantas Sabonis. 2017 - Thunder trade Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis to the Pacers for Paul George. 2019 - Thunder trade Paul George to the Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps. 2022 - Thunder use the Clippers' pick (No. 12) to draft Jalen Williams. 2025 - 🏆 Watch the video at the link below for more. Getty Images Shoutout to T.J. McConnell. Throughout the postseason, and especially in the NBA Finals, the veteran guard brought a level of intensity and effort that frankly few, if anyone, on the floor could match. Tonight, he scored 16 points in 28 minutes, including 12 straight while this game was still close in the third quarter. He certainly further endeared himself to the Pacers fans with his play this postseason. Fred Katz / The Athletic Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 'As a kid, you dream. Every kid dreams. But you don't know if those dreams are gonna come true. 'All the achievements and accolades, they don't come close to the feeling of winning with your brothers.' Getty Images Kyle P.: Well, the Pacers played hard and took it to 7 games. If they just wouldn't have blown game 4 then they wouldn't have had to play in this game and Haliburton never gets injured. Just sucks the way this game ended up turning out, but congrats to OKC. Drew H.: Pacers never gave up. What a team they had. Happy for the Thunder. 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Getty Images Isaac F.: Not a huge Shai fan but it's nice to see him finally show some emotion rather than the cool guy persona he's always putting on. Gerrit B.: My sympathies to Sonics fans everywhere. Frank F.: Celtics fan here: Congrats to OKC. You didn't play perfectly but you rose up when the occasion demanded it. Indy: I know it's no consolation, but your fight tonight was inspiring. Good series for the league. Erick H.: Congrats to OKC - great team and deserving champ. And hats off to the Pacers. Hell of a season and a worthy team who fate was unkind to. Wish your guy Haliburton a speedy and full recovery. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault kept it cool, calm, and concise on the podium — which felt just about right. 'I want to congratulate Indiana on a great season,' he began. 'They were a stiff opponent." 'This was a dream for everybody here at one point in our lives. There was one point where we didn't know if we were going to be in the NBA, from players to staff, the coaches… It's a privilege. We're incredibly grateful for it.' And the most special thing about this group? Daigneault's answer is swift. 'They behave like champions,' he added. 'They compete like champions. They root for each other's success, which is rare in professional sports. I've said it many times, I'm gonna say it one more time: this is an uncommon team, and now they're champions.' The Chicago angle: In between Alex Caruso's NBA titles, he played for the Bulls. He now has NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder. Getty Images Indiana Pacers 746 Oklahoma City Thunder 765 The Thunder made 35 more free throws, had 31 fewer turnovers, three more offensive rebounds and made one more field goal overall through the seven-game series. The Sonics' sole NBA championship (1979) stayed in Seattle, legally speaking. Their banners and trophies had to stay there as part of a legal settlement between the city and Thunder owner Clay Bennett after he pulled the team out of there. So this is, by all intents and purposes, the Thunder's first title. Getty Images I'm not sure we needed more than one or two shots of Clay Bennett celebrating, to say nothing of the city that could have lived with zero. Chet Holmgren is hyped! He makes it clear that he is proud of his team and proud of himself for his resilience throughout the season. Holmgren missed 50 regular-season games after sustaining a serious injury to his pelvis early in the season. After his cameo, two-time NBA champ Alex Caruso steps to the mic as he is swarmed by his teammates. Up on that podium with all the noise and hollering and cheering, Isaiah Hartenstein is holding his small child and the kid is absolutely zonked out asleep. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the first Canadian NBA Finals MVP. He joined Steve Nash as a league MVP earlier this year, but Nash never won a title.
