This has been a pretty good series so far. Indiana pulled off yet another amazing comeback on the road in Game One, storming back in the last two minutes to beat Oklahoma City 111 to 110. Then the Pacers conceded Game Two, with OKC rolling to an easy 123-107 win. But of course, the Pacers have no intention of conceding Game Three back in Indiana. With 6:05 left in the second quarter, the Pacers and the Thunder are tied at 42.
51-all with 3:26 left in the first half.
ReplyDeleteIn the first half, Indy took only 13 three-pointers. OKC took only 10. We're getting real basketball. Pacers lead 64-60 at the half.
ReplyDeleteEight players have scored for the Thunder. Nine players have scored for the Pacers. Both sides are playing beautiful team basketball -- lots of passing, lots of cutting to the hoop, lots of hitting the open man. The Pacers have 30 points off the bench. A great game so far.
ReplyDeleteThe Pacers are shooting 60.5 percent from two-point range, and they lead OKC 79-76 with 5:40 left in the third quarter.
ReplyDeleteAfter giving up 40 points in the second quarter, OKC holds the Pacers to only 20 points in the third quarter. With 12 minutes left, the Thunder lead 89 to 84.
ReplyDeleteWith 6:40 left, the Pacers lead 101-98.
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing: when the money is on the line, no one has been able to score against the Pacers. Milwaukee couldn't do it, Cleveland couldn't do it, the Knicks couldn't do it, and now the Thunder can't do it. Pacers lead 107-100 with 3:40 left.
ReplyDeleteOKC got to within 110-104, had multiple chances to score, couldn't score, and now trails 112-104 with 1 minute left. The Pacers are going up two games to one, and the Thunder will face a must-win game on the road in Game Four.
ReplyDeleteWhen this series started, I thought the gap in talent between OKC and Indy was enough to send the title to Oklahoma. But when the Pacers really crank up their defense -- as they did at the end of Games One and Three -- OKC doesn't have the weaponry needed to put points on the board.
ReplyDeleteToday the Pacer fans are all wearing T-shirts saying, "BUT THIS IS INDIANA."
ReplyDeleteFor the record, no team from Indiana has won the NCAA basketball tournament since 1987. And no team from Indiana has ever won the NBA title. But that could change this year.
ReplyDeleteI thought Oklahoma was going to win the NCAA's in 1988, and they lost to Kansas. I thought OKC was going to win it all in 2012, and they lost to Miami.
ReplyDeleteIndiana wins 116 to 107. That score seems like the teams were mostly evenly matched, and for most of the game they were. But in the last quarter, Indy outscored OKC 32 to 18. That's not close.
ReplyDeleteI had said I lost interest, but I watched this game and enjoyed it--and now I'm back in. And I had said I lost interest in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but then Edmonton came back last night from 3-0 to tie, take a lead in the third period and finally win in overtime of Game 4. Now it's two games apiece. Now I'm back in with the NHL, too.
ReplyDeleteGO, MURRAY STATE!