The Indiana Pacers stole Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they were no match for the best team in the league in Game 2. The Thunder dominated the Pacers after a tight first quarter, running away with a 123-107 victory to even the series at one game each before heading back to Indiana.
The Pacers shot the lights out from the perimeter in Game 1, but a lot of those makes dried up significantly on Sunday night. While they are capable of exploding from the outside at any time and have proven that during this postseason, Indiana knows that it can’t rely on just that and needs to get more going on the interior.
Starting center Myles Turner admitted as much after Game 2 and didn’t hold back about what his Pacers need going forward.
Myles: “I think we only had 4 or 6 points in the paint in the first half and that’s not Pacers basketball. When you live and die by that three or mid-range shots, it doesn’t always fare well for you” pic.twitter.com/LKxIPaaeYs
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) June 9, 2025
“I think we only had four or six points in the paint in the first half and that’s not Pacers basketball,” Turner said. “When you live and die by that three or mid-range shots, it doesn’t always fare well for you.”
Indiana finished Game 2 with just 34 points in the paint, lagging eight points behind Oklahoma City in that department. The Pacers also took 40 3-pointers, making just 14 of them. While those numbers on the surface are manageable, it’s hard to overcome 15 turnovers against an elite defense with average scoring splits.
On the contrary, Game 1 saw the Pacers really light it up from the outside. While they finished with 34 points in the paint as well in the opening game of the series, they also shot an astounding 18-for-39 from downtown. Whenever the Pacers needed a big bucket in the second half, they got one.
Even though it worked for a game and got them the road split that they needed, Turner and his squad know that isn’t going to be enough to overcome this elite Thunder squad. Oklahoma City has preyed on teams who lose their way offensively all season long and throughout the playoffs, and they did so again on Sunday night.
Still, the Pacers will be thrilled that the series is headed back to Indianapolis on Wednesday for Game 3. Gainbridge Fieldhouse is one of the toughest places to play in the NBA, and the Pacers have a 6-2 record in front of their home fans this postseason. If they can keep winning in front of the friendly crowd, they will be on the brink of an NBA Championship.
The post Myles Turner gets brutally honest on how Pacers ‘died’ in Game 2 vs. Thunder appeared first on ClutchPoints.
