An unexpected hero from the Indiana bench led to leadership
Basketball players Oklahoma City Thunder, the first favorites for the title in the North American NBA, had a second defeat in the finals against Indiana Pacers. In the first match in Indianapolis, Pacers won 116: 107 and led with 2: 1 in the fight for four victories. The best team of the regular work of the season also surprisingly lost the opening match in the home hall. Pacers are hunting the first title in club history.
“Great! Really great! We play before our fans, we love here. These people deserve great basketball. This is a big victory for us, « after the first home match of Indiana in the NBA final after 25 years, said the first man of the team Tyrese Haliburton. “We all have our challenges. But we all stayed upright and persisted, « he enthusiastically escorted the victory.
Contrary to the home defeat at the opening match of the NBA Finals, when Oklahoma lost a two -digit advantage and lost in the final seconds, this was a much less surprise against Indiana in terms of the course of the match. She led Oklahoma early, but at halftime she was already four points behind. In the second half, the teams repeatedly changed in the lead before the hosts had moved away in the last minutes.
The top scorer of the winners was to a big surprise Bennedict Mathurin with 27 points. The reservist hit nine of the 12 throws. « Ben Mathurin was great today with benches, » said Haliburton, who scored 22 points and 11 assists himself. At guests they were the best Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Lexanderwhich scored 26 or 24 points.
« In the last quarter, we were truly outperformed on both sides, » Oklahome coach said after the match Mark Daigneault. “I think they were in great shape about fitness and pressure in defense. Then they were also good about the speed in the attack. In the last quarter, they simply accumulated much more quality balls than we do, « Daigneault said before the fourth game, which will also be in Indianapolis.
