In the last two playoff rounds, Indiana won the series opener and went on to win both series. Can the Pacers make it three straight against the Thunder in OKC?
Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers don’t mind starting on the road. In fact, they’ve learned to thrive on it.
For the third straight series, the Pacers open a playoff round on hostile hardwood — this time, at Paycom Center against the top-seeded OKC Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Friday (PH time), June 6.
Tip-off is set for 8:30 a.m. in Oklahoma City.
It’s Indiana’s first Finals appearance since 2000, and the franchise is still chasing its first title.
But these Pacers have made a habit of spoiling home crowds: they won both Games 1 and 2 on the road against the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks earlier this postseason, and have gone 6–2 away from home overall.
They’ll need that same resilience against an OKC team that’s been a juggernaut all season, going 68–14 in the regular season and 8–1 at home in the playoffs.
Indiana, led by Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner, enters with one of the most explosive offenses in the league, posting a 117.7 offensive rating through 16 playoff games — higher than OKC’s 115.9.
[ALSO READ: NBA Finals preview: SGA vs Haliburton, elite defense vs efficient offense in OKC-IND duel]
The Pacers were swept by the Thunder in the regular season, but they’ve made a name for themselves by embracing chaos.
[ALSO READ: NBA Finals Preview: Haliburton, Pacers embrace 'underdog mentality' in Game 1 vs Thunder]
(With reports from Pao Ambat)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]