If the lesson of these NBA playoffs is how quickly fortunes can change, then the latest example is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Three days after the Thunder appeared seemingly out of offensive options, fatigued and headed toward a 3-1 series deficit in the best-of-seven NBA Finals, they’re now just one win away from claiming an … Read more
The Oklahoma City Thunder reached the NBA Finals by producing one of the season’s statistical marvels. Their longest losing streak was just two games. And over an eight-month season, they lost consecutive games only two times. For much of Friday night in Indianapolis, it appeared as though the Indiana Pacers were close to doing the … Read more
The Indiana Pacers didn’t need one of their signature improbable comebacks to win Game 3 of the NBA Finals. And because of it, the Oklahoma City Thunder, once the heavy favorite to claim the league championship, will now need a rally of their own to keep their title hopes alive. During a bravura fourth quarter … Read more
When Tyrese Haliburton hit what would be the game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the flashpoint moment obscured what was otherwise a relatively quiet performance for the Indiana Pacers star, as he finished the opener with 14 points and six assists. In Game 2, which the Pacers lost … Read more
This has been Oklahoma City’s formula all season: Lose one game, respond in the next. That’s exactly what the Thunder did in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Hamilton, Ont., native Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, Alex Caruso added 20 off the bench and the Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 123-107 on Sunday night to … Read more
When the Indiana Pacers trailed the Oklahoma City Thunder by 9 points with 2 minutes and 52 seconds left in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, ESPN’s win probability model gave the Pacers only a 3.6% chance to win. Not only did the Pacers overcome that deficit to win 111-110 and take a 1-0 lead … Read more