After the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, many believed the momentum took a sharp turn toward OKC’s direction. Undoubtedly the more talented and deeper roster, the Thunder are still the favorite to win it all. But after miraculously stealing Game 1 on the road, the Pacers should be feeling pretty good about themselves heading home, according to Paul Pierce.
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Pierce and Kevin Garnett lauded Indiana’s winning effort on the road, recalling that many were expecting a bloodbath in this series. Now, the Pacers have an opportunity to take full control of the series at home. Even though their first win of the series came after trailing for the entirety of the contest, The Truth isn’t concerned.
Pierce recalled when his Boston Celtics took on the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 Finals. The Celtics took Game 1 at Staples Center, putting themselves in the driver’s seat to win another title. But it only took one game to halt the momentum.
“So this is like what happened to us in 2010. We went to LA and stole one. And then … we lost Game 3 at home,” Pierce said on KG Certified. “That killed the momentum. I was like, ‘We not coming back to LA.’ So this is the same type of scenario. They got to protect home now.”
If Indiana has legitimate hopes of winning the franchise’s first championship, they must protect their newfound homecourt advantage. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are just as capable of upsetting the Pacers’ home crowd. If OKC does walk away with a win tonight, the situation will be dire for Tyrese Haliburton and co.
Kevin Garnett believes a blowout is imminent. In his eyes, the only question is which team will be giving the work. “Can [the Pacers] blow [OKC] out at home? Minnesota blew them out at home, Game 3, am I correct? … Randle had a good game, everyone was on cylinders. Can they blow ’em out?” The Big Ticket questioned.
Pierce believes the Pacers are capable of dealing that devasting blow, especially if the Thunder’s bench isn’t clicking. OKC notably got a combined 38 points between two bench guards, Aaron Wiggins and Alex Caruso, in Game 2. With a repeat performance unlikely, Indiana possesses the offensive firepower to run away with one under the right conditions.
The Pacers are clearly a different team than they were in the regular season. Everyone has stepped up when it matters most, which has led to an opportunity the franchise hasn’t had since 2000.
Playoff series are best-of-seven for a reason. If Indy can claim Game 3 at home, detractors will have to accept that there’s a real chance the Indiana Pacers could become the 2025 NBA Champions.
