When the Nuggets had been up 2-1 over the Thunder of their second spherical match-up, and main at house within the second half of Sport 4, I booked the Nuggets into the NBA Finals, and in addition cleverly booked a flight to Colorado. Whereas that assumption didn’t age properly, I had the duvet story of my brother (who lives in Colorado) and his June 6 birthday celebration as an excuse for the journey to Colorado, which meant I didn’t endure the humiliation of cancelling the spherical journey ticket.
Nevertheless, my journey to Colorado throughout the begin of the Finals made it troublesome to do my regular game-by-game reporting for the Finals. That reporting had began properly earlier than I joined Pounding the Rock over a decade in the past. Certainly, my pre-Pounding the Rock piece in regards to the Manu Sport within the 2013 Finals (Sport 5 at house, an enormous Spurs win fueled by Manu, which sadly led to the Ray Allen Sport) led to my large signing bonus with PtR, and the remainder is historical past.
This NBA Finals between the Pacers and Thunder has additionally been historic, despite the fact that it isn’t near over. In Sport Three, T.J. McConnell turned the primary bench participant in Finals historical past with 10 factors, 5 assists and 5 steals in a sport. In Sport 4, Alex Caruso turned the primary bench participant in NBA Finals historical past with 20 factors and 5 steals. After all, getting 5 steals in a Finals sport is quite a bit, even for starters. Solely eight gamers, all starters, have gotten greater than 5 steals in a Finals sport.
Whereas I’ll speak a bit bit extra about stats in a bit, we must always all be grateful that this Finals has been so entertaining. Going into it, a whole lot of pundits (one other attention-grabbing English phrase) had been predicting that OKC would win in a tidy 5 video games. With the collection at 2-2, that gained’t occur. Going into Sport 4, with the Pacers up 2-1, I did a fast survey of my hoops buddies as to which group would win the championship. The consensus, although not unanimous, was the Pacers. (I nonetheless thought OKC would win.) On the finish of the third quarter of Sport 4, the consensus appeared to be proper.
However the Pacers merely stopped scoring (solely 18 factors within the fourth quarter) and SGA made some large pictures (together with the go-ahead shot on what regarded like each a push-off and a journey).
Consequently, within the area of about 8 minutes, the Pacers went from what felt like a 90% probability to go up 3-1 and a probable championship, to having to win at the least as soon as on the street AND maintain serve at house in Sport Six. Going up 3-1 would have been the higher alternative.
I’m nonetheless rooting for the Pacers, after all, however I’d really feel higher about their possibilities if that they had been capable of rating within the fourth quarter of Sport 4 like they did within the first quarter (35 factors).
Different ideas
The latter a part of the common season and the early playoffs had been dominated by severe accidents to prime gamers. Kyrie Irving for the Mavs, Dame Lillard with the Bucks, Steph Curry on the Warriors and most devastating, Jason Tatum on the defending champion Celtics. However these Finals haven’t but been cursed by the damage bug as each groups’ rotation gamers are all wholesome. Nevertheless, for a second in Sport 4 it regarded like Chet Holmgren may need critically sprained his ankle. Regulate that. That ankle is perhaps extra of a think about Sport 5 as soon as the adrenaline wears off and swelling replaces it.
The Holmgen challenge raises a unique challenge I’ve not seen mentioned elsewhere. Whereas the Pacers have glorious depth, they don’t have a backup 5. Their beginning middle, Myles Turner, is an excellent participant, despite the fact that he has been hit and miss within the Finals (largely miss — 6-21 within the final two video games). However when Turner will not be within the sport, they merely don’t have a backup middle. As a substitute, when he’s out, the Pacers change him with guys who’re finest described as 3/4 as an alternative of 4/5 — Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin. Although OKC has a real 5 in Hartenstein and the 7’1” Holmgren as a 4/5, the Pacers lack of measurement has not been an issue. (However see the following remark.)
One among my first posts after I joined PtR was entitled “How a Coach Reads a Field Rating”. One of many main issues I wrote was that whole rebounds don’t reveal a lot in regards to the sport — the group that shoots higher ought to outrebound the opposite group. As a substitute, I take a look at proportion of missed pictures that the offensive group recovers. Roughly talking, a proportion between 25% and 33% is pretty regular. In Sport 4, OKC had 12 offensive rebounds on its 41 missed pictures — a normal-ish 29%. However the Pacers had solely 7 offensive boards on 46 missed pictures: an atrocious 15%. Put one other method, that gave OKC 5 further possessions. OKC additionally had two fewer turnovers, for a complete of seven further possessions — an enormous distinction in a detailed sport.
One other essential distinction in shut video games is free throws. Each groups shot 80% from the road throughout the common season. Friday evening, OKC went 34-38, 89.5%. That’s about 4 factors greater than their season common for that variety of free throws — made whereas on the street with the whole area at 1,000,000 decibels. The Pacers, taking pictures in relative silence, shot 76%, a few level lower than what could be anticipated despite the fact that the sector was not screaming at them as they shot. As with offensive rebounds, these 5 further factors are an enormous deal in a detailed sport. (Once I performed in highschool, house crowds would preserve a respectful silence when both group shot free throws. That politeness appears so odd immediately. After all, that was a very long time in the past.)
Talking of free throws, Tyrese Haliburton shot three of them Friday evening. Amazingly, they had been the primary free throws he had taken the Finals. Nice gamers get to the free throw line. Throughout the common season, Haliburton averaged solely three free throws per sport. As a lot as I like Haliburton as a participant, he must get to the road extra if he desires to be a very elite participant. See, as an example, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 10 free throws in Sport 4. He made all of them.
In Sport Three, the Thunder shot 47% general, 45.5% from three, took 30 free throws and outrebounded the Pacers by 6. In Sport 4, the Thunder made solely three 3-pointers on 3 for 18 taking pictures (19%) with solely 10 assists for the whole sport. The Thunder misplaced Sport Three and gained Sport 4.
I’ve not but talked about the very best issues about these Finals. These groups are really competing as if every sport is a sport seven — for all 48 minutes. The Pacers are selecting up full courtroom, pressuring the Thunder everywhere in the courtroom and working it again the opposite method as soon as they get the ball. On the opposite aspect, the Thunder are enjoying among the finest protection I’ve ever seen. Within the fourth quarter of Sport 4, the Pacers offense (which is world class), spent a lot of every offensive possession nearer to the mid-court line than the basket. And the pictures they did get had been typically rushed with a view to beat the shot clock. Once I was teaching, I used to inform my gamers to compete every possession as if it was the final possession in a tied sport. The Thunder and the Pacers are doing that. Which is why, despite the fact that it is a battle between “small market groups” with none of the league’s legacy gamers, this Finals have been so entertaining for true hoops followers.
I actually hope this goes to seven video games. Except the Pacers steal Sport 5 in OKC tonight. If that occurs, I hope the Finals finish in six, in entrance of the Pacers’ house crowd. Hoosiers.
