Thunder fix crunch time woes, level NBA playoffs series
The young but top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder have finally outplayed the Denver Nuggets in crunch time, winning 92-87 to level their NBA Western Conference semi-final series at 2-2.
All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way in Sunday's away victory, scoring 25 points.
The Thunder trailed 69-63 after three quarters and fell behind by eight when Peyton Watson started the fourth quarter by swishing a hook shot.
But Oklahoma City used an 11-0 run fueled by reserves Cason Wallace, who had a pair of 3-pointers, and Aaron Wiggins, who added another, to take control.
The Nuggets had outlasted the youngest team in the NBA with wins in Games 1 and 3, crediting their playoff experience and championship pedigree.
And they looked poised to put the regular season leaders on the cusp of elimination when Aaron Gordon's turnaround jumper made it 73-66.
This time, however, it was the Thunder who came up big down the stretch and the Nuggets who fumbled away the chance to put OKC in a 3-1 hole.
"We kind of lost our way defensively, especially in the third, but did a great job of course-correcting to start the fourth," said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault.
"That group to start the fourth was huge to give us a lead, and then the defence down the stretch was really, really good."
Game 5 is Tuesday night back in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder had a 43-point blowout of the Nuggets in Game 2.
Nikola Jokic led Denver with 27 points and 13 rebounds. Christian Braun and Jamal Murray each had 17 points and Gordon scored 15. Michael Porter Jr. scored just three points after scoring 15 Friday night.
Wiggins and Wallace each added 11 points and Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams each scored 10. Williams was 2 for 13 from the floor after scoring 32 in Game 3.
Both teams went 3 for 22 from deep in the first half and they slumbered through a combined 25-point first quarter, which tied an NBA playoff record for fewest points in the opening quarter.
Oklahoma City were ahead 42-36 at the half.
"Give their team credit," said Nuggets interim coach David Adelman. "In a disgusting basketball game, they did enough to win."
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The Advertiser
8 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Thunder, Pacers search for edge in Game 3 of NBA Finals
The Indiana Pacers are looking for a boost from being at home and answers for slowing down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander going into Game 3 of the NBA Finals. With the best-of-seven series tied 1-1 nothing is settled, but the Pacers must rebound from a 123-107 thumping by Oklahoma City in Game 2, having stolen a 111-110 win in Game 1. The Pacers led for just 0.3 seconds in Game 1 and a total of one minute and 56 seconds of a possible 96 minutes in the first two games. NBA MVP Gilgeous-Alexander drove the Thunder to their big win on Sunday and has 72 points through two games, the most ever in the first two games of a Finals debut. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has constantly reminded his young team not to unpack any of the good, bad or ugly from the first two games as they embrace their home-floor opportunity on Wednesday. "Everything that's already happened doesn't matter, other than the score of the series," Carlisle said. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton limped through parts of Sunday's loss as Oklahoma City pressured him with multiple defenders after he'd snatched victory with a heart-stopping floater to end Game 1 - his fourth game-winner of these playoffs. Haliburton said on Tuesday he has a "lower body thing" impacting him but plans to play in Game 3. Gilgeous-Alexander is expecting the unexpected. "A series is so tricky. It definitely is a feeling-out," he said. "But there's also so many adjustments made to where it's almost hard to predict and try to determine what they're going to do with you. You kind of just have to be ready for everything." Getting to the rim has been a tall order for Indiana. The Pacers have been outscored by 20 points in the paint. But resolve has been a major trait helping define the team's success, and they're 4-0 in the playoffs following a loss. 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Daigneault doesn't take credit for throwing a changeup or two. "The general battle we're trying to win is the possession battle. There's different ways to do that," Daigneault said. "We have optionality. Every game is different." The Indiana Pacers are looking for a boost from being at home and answers for slowing down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander going into Game 3 of the NBA Finals. With the best-of-seven series tied 1-1 nothing is settled, but the Pacers must rebound from a 123-107 thumping by Oklahoma City in Game 2, having stolen a 111-110 win in Game 1. The Pacers led for just 0.3 seconds in Game 1 and a total of one minute and 56 seconds of a possible 96 minutes in the first two games. NBA MVP Gilgeous-Alexander drove the Thunder to their big win on Sunday and has 72 points through two games, the most ever in the first two games of a Finals debut. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has constantly reminded his young team not to unpack any of the good, bad or ugly from the first two games as they embrace their home-floor opportunity on Wednesday. "Everything that's already happened doesn't matter, other than the score of the series," Carlisle said. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton limped through parts of Sunday's loss as Oklahoma City pressured him with multiple defenders after he'd snatched victory with a heart-stopping floater to end Game 1 - his fourth game-winner of these playoffs. Haliburton said on Tuesday he has a "lower body thing" impacting him but plans to play in Game 3. Gilgeous-Alexander is expecting the unexpected. "A series is so tricky. It definitely is a feeling-out," he said. "But there's also so many adjustments made to where it's almost hard to predict and try to determine what they're going to do with you. You kind of just have to be ready for everything." Getting to the rim has been a tall order for Indiana. The Pacers have been outscored by 20 points in the paint. But resolve has been a major trait helping define the team's success, and they're 4-0 in the playoffs following a loss. To take control of the Finals, Carlisle is stressing the importance of tamping down turnovers without losing contact with the accelerator. "This team that we're playing now presents unprecedented challenges because they've been turning everybody over through the entire playoffs," Carlisle said. Oklahoma City's defensive approach is likely to be similar to Game 2 until the Pacers prove they can handle the on-ball energy. But how Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault executes his plan is quite literally anyone's guess. He used more than 700 lineup combinations during the regular season, more than any team in the league, and found unique groups to gain an edge on the boards in Game 2. "We have a group of guys that are just ready to play," Thunder guard Jalen Williams said. "Everybody is kind of waiting for their opportunity. "We have so many different lineups throughout the course of the year that nobody is shocked by when Mark wants to go small, change this around or do that." Daigneault doesn't take credit for throwing a changeup or two. "The general battle we're trying to win is the possession battle. There's different ways to do that," Daigneault said. "We have optionality. Every game is different." The Indiana Pacers are looking for a boost from being at home and answers for slowing down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander going into Game 3 of the NBA Finals. With the best-of-seven series tied 1-1 nothing is settled, but the Pacers must rebound from a 123-107 thumping by Oklahoma City in Game 2, having stolen a 111-110 win in Game 1. The Pacers led for just 0.3 seconds in Game 1 and a total of one minute and 56 seconds of a possible 96 minutes in the first two games. NBA MVP Gilgeous-Alexander drove the Thunder to their big win on Sunday and has 72 points through two games, the most ever in the first two games of a Finals debut. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has constantly reminded his young team not to unpack any of the good, bad or ugly from the first two games as they embrace their home-floor opportunity on Wednesday. "Everything that's already happened doesn't matter, other than the score of the series," Carlisle said. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton limped through parts of Sunday's loss as Oklahoma City pressured him with multiple defenders after he'd snatched victory with a heart-stopping floater to end Game 1 - his fourth game-winner of these playoffs. Haliburton said on Tuesday he has a "lower body thing" impacting him but plans to play in Game 3. Gilgeous-Alexander is expecting the unexpected. "A series is so tricky. It definitely is a feeling-out," he said. "But there's also so many adjustments made to where it's almost hard to predict and try to determine what they're going to do with you. You kind of just have to be ready for everything." Getting to the rim has been a tall order for Indiana. The Pacers have been outscored by 20 points in the paint. But resolve has been a major trait helping define the team's success, and they're 4-0 in the playoffs following a loss. To take control of the Finals, Carlisle is stressing the importance of tamping down turnovers without losing contact with the accelerator. "This team that we're playing now presents unprecedented challenges because they've been turning everybody over through the entire playoffs," Carlisle said. Oklahoma City's defensive approach is likely to be similar to Game 2 until the Pacers prove they can handle the on-ball energy. But how Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault executes his plan is quite literally anyone's guess. He used more than 700 lineup combinations during the regular season, more than any team in the league, and found unique groups to gain an edge on the boards in Game 2. "We have a group of guys that are just ready to play," Thunder guard Jalen Williams said. "Everybody is kind of waiting for their opportunity. "We have so many different lineups throughout the course of the year that nobody is shocked by when Mark wants to go small, change this around or do that." Daigneault doesn't take credit for throwing a changeup or two. "The general battle we're trying to win is the possession battle. There's different ways to do that," Daigneault said. "We have optionality. Every game is different." The Indiana Pacers are looking for a boost from being at home and answers for slowing down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander going into Game 3 of the NBA Finals. 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Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton limped through parts of Sunday's loss as Oklahoma City pressured him with multiple defenders after he'd snatched victory with a heart-stopping floater to end Game 1 - his fourth game-winner of these playoffs. Haliburton said on Tuesday he has a "lower body thing" impacting him but plans to play in Game 3. Gilgeous-Alexander is expecting the unexpected. "A series is so tricky. It definitely is a feeling-out," he said. "But there's also so many adjustments made to where it's almost hard to predict and try to determine what they're going to do with you. You kind of just have to be ready for everything." Getting to the rim has been a tall order for Indiana. The Pacers have been outscored by 20 points in the paint. But resolve has been a major trait helping define the team's success, and they're 4-0 in the playoffs following a loss. To take control of the Finals, Carlisle is stressing the importance of tamping down turnovers without losing contact with the accelerator. "This team that we're playing now presents unprecedented challenges because they've been turning everybody over through the entire playoffs," Carlisle said. Oklahoma City's defensive approach is likely to be similar to Game 2 until the Pacers prove they can handle the on-ball energy. But how Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault executes his plan is quite literally anyone's guess. He used more than 700 lineup combinations during the regular season, more than any team in the league, and found unique groups to gain an edge on the boards in Game 2. "We have a group of guys that are just ready to play," Thunder guard Jalen Williams said. "Everybody is kind of waiting for their opportunity. "We have so many different lineups throughout the course of the year that nobody is shocked by when Mark wants to go small, change this around or do that." 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West Australian
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Thunder, Pacers search for edge in Game 3 of NBA Finals
The Indiana Pacers are looking for a boost from being at home and answers for slowing down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander going into Game 3 of the NBA Finals. With the best-of-seven series tied 1-1 nothing is settled, but the Pacers must rebound from a 123-107 thumping by Oklahoma City in Game 2, having stolen a 111-110 win in Game 1. The Pacers led for just 0.3 seconds in Game 1 and a total of one minute and 56 seconds of a possible 96 minutes in the first two games. NBA MVP Gilgeous-Alexander drove the Thunder to their big win on Sunday and has 72 points through two games, the most ever in the first two games of a Finals debut. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has constantly reminded his young team not to unpack any of the good, bad or ugly from the first two games as they embrace their home-floor opportunity on Wednesday. "Everything that's already happened doesn't matter, other than the score of the series," Carlisle said. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton limped through parts of Sunday's loss as Oklahoma City pressured him with multiple defenders after he'd snatched victory with a heart-stopping floater to end Game 1 - his fourth game-winner of these playoffs. Haliburton said on Tuesday he has a "lower body thing" impacting him but plans to play in Game 3. Gilgeous-Alexander is expecting the unexpected. "A series is so tricky. It definitely is a feeling-out," he said. "But there's also so many adjustments made to where it's almost hard to predict and try to determine what they're going to do with you. You kind of just have to be ready for everything." Getting to the rim has been a tall order for Indiana. The Pacers have been outscored by 20 points in the paint. But resolve has been a major trait helping define the team's success, and they're 4-0 in the playoffs following a loss. To take control of the Finals, Carlisle is stressing the importance of tamping down turnovers without losing contact with the accelerator. "This team that we're playing now presents unprecedented challenges because they've been turning everybody over through the entire playoffs," Carlisle said. Oklahoma City's defensive approach is likely to be similar to Game 2 until the Pacers prove they can handle the on-ball energy. But how Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault executes his plan is quite literally anyone's guess. He used more than 700 lineup combinations during the regular season, more than any team in the league, and found unique groups to gain an edge on the boards in Game 2. "We have a group of guys that are just ready to play," Thunder guard Jalen Williams said. "Everybody is kind of waiting for their opportunity. "We have so many different lineups throughout the course of the year that nobody is shocked by when Mark wants to go small, change this around or do that." Daigneault doesn't take credit for throwing a changeup or two. "The general battle we're trying to win is the possession battle. There's different ways to do that," Daigneault said. "We have optionality. Every game is different."
Perth Now
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The Indiana Pacers are looking for a boost from being at home and answers for slowing down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander going into Game 3 of the NBA Finals. With the best-of-seven series tied 1-1 nothing is settled, but the Pacers must rebound from a 123-107 thumping by Oklahoma City in Game 2, having stolen a 111-110 win in Game 1. The Pacers led for just 0.3 seconds in Game 1 and a total of one minute and 56 seconds of a possible 96 minutes in the first two games. NBA MVP Gilgeous-Alexander drove the Thunder to their big win on Sunday and has 72 points through two games, the most ever in the first two games of a Finals debut. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has constantly reminded his young team not to unpack any of the good, bad or ugly from the first two games as they embrace their home-floor opportunity on Wednesday. "Everything that's already happened doesn't matter, other than the score of the series," Carlisle said. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton limped through parts of Sunday's loss as Oklahoma City pressured him with multiple defenders after he'd snatched victory with a heart-stopping floater to end Game 1 - his fourth game-winner of these playoffs. Haliburton said on Tuesday he has a "lower body thing" impacting him but plans to play in Game 3. Gilgeous-Alexander is expecting the unexpected. "A series is so tricky. It definitely is a feeling-out," he said. "But there's also so many adjustments made to where it's almost hard to predict and try to determine what they're going to do with you. You kind of just have to be ready for everything." Getting to the rim has been a tall order for Indiana. The Pacers have been outscored by 20 points in the paint. But resolve has been a major trait helping define the team's success, and they're 4-0 in the playoffs following a loss. To take control of the Finals, Carlisle is stressing the importance of tamping down turnovers without losing contact with the accelerator. "This team that we're playing now presents unprecedented challenges because they've been turning everybody over through the entire playoffs," Carlisle said. Oklahoma City's defensive approach is likely to be similar to Game 2 until the Pacers prove they can handle the on-ball energy. But how Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault executes his plan is quite literally anyone's guess. He used more than 700 lineup combinations during the regular season, more than any team in the league, and found unique groups to gain an edge on the boards in Game 2. "We have a group of guys that are just ready to play," Thunder guard Jalen Williams said. "Everybody is kind of waiting for their opportunity. "We have so many different lineups throughout the course of the year that nobody is shocked by when Mark wants to go small, change this around or do that." Daigneault doesn't take credit for throwing a changeup or two. "The general battle we're trying to win is the possession battle. There's different ways to do that," Daigneault said. "We have optionality. Every game is different."
