The Indiana Pacers stole Game 1 in the NBA Finals. In doing so, he found what Gary Payton called the key to winning the series.
The Indiana Pacers continue to pull off an incredible comeback as they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the final seconds to win a shocking Game 1 victory.
Tylese Halliburton sank the dagger in the final seconds of the game, despite not having a great match. No one could have predicted how this would begin the NBA Finals.
Shy Gilgauss Alexander looked unstoppable with his 38-point outing, but the Pacers were able to withstand an offensive onslaught and win the game.
Interestingly, by winning Game 1, the Pacers did what NBA legend Gary Payton said would be the deciding factor for the NBA Finals.
NBA legend Gary Payton previewed the NBA Finals at a press conference to promote the Budxnba House event in Mumbai.
The former NBA champions claim this is a 7-game series, with the first team losing will ultimately win the series.
“We have five teams that can go to each other. I think it’s going to be a great series. I think we’ll go to seven games. The first loss on the home court will probably be the loser.”
If Gary Payton is right, the Indiana Pacers have set themselves up for a franchise first NBA championship victory.
Of course, that’s still no one’s series. We’ve seen the Thunder bounce back after a Game 1 loss in these playoffs after they beat the Nuggets in the semi-finals of the meeting.
Tonight’s victory may convince the average fan that the Thunder didn’t play well. But the truth is that the Pacers won the game because of their resilience.
The Thunder led this 48-minute basketball game for 47 minutes 59.7 seconds. In fact, after a winning shot in the Halliburton game, Pacer’s first and only lead was the only lead in the game. Halliburton himself scored 14 points in the victory.
The historic duo of OKC Shai Ggeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams scored 55 points. And until the end, it seemed to lead to victory.
The Thunder cannot let the heroics of Halliburton clutches take away from the powerful performance they had. Yes, the game was a sign that their fourth quarter offense and defense would require some work.
But it was a powerful Game 1 outing for heavy favorites. Confusion can occur, but lightning should not derail momentum.