jalengreen wrote:Outside wrote:jalengreen wrote:
They have pretty similar "recent PS experience". I don't see it as some sort of significant team wide advantage. Denver series was especially a great experience builder for OKC, down 1-0 and 2-1 with multiple clutch games and an eventual G7.
Granted, the Finals are different and you'd expect more nerves for the biggest stage in the sport. But the team that came out with 19 first half turnovers wasn't the one that impressed me as far as controlling nerves go tbh
The Denver series was definitely great experience for OKC. I was referring more to last season, where Indy made the conference finals while OKC lost in the 2nd round. Indy played 17 games last PS compared to 10 for OKC; not necessarily a huge difference, but it was a big positive step for Indy and a disappointment for OKC.
There's also the coaching experience. Daignault is a really good coach, but Carlisle has a huge advantage in PS experience.
Indy's belief in themselves and their poise to withstand deficits and keep themselves in the game comes from somewhere. They see themselves as never being out of the game, while OKC has a seed of doubt that Indy doesn't have. Experience is a factor.
Carlisle is a fair shout but what are you even talking about with this "seed of doubt" stuff?
Sorry, I know it's not a data point. It's subjective. But in my subjective view, I also saw it in the Denver series, where they tightened up down the stretch, epitomized by JWill missing or not taking shots but also the other guys, like they're waiting for SGA to bail them out. Indy, on the other hand, all of them are willing to take shots, and collectively, they make them.
With five minutes to go, OKC was up 102-96. The only Thunder player to score in the last five minutes was SGA, who made two 2pt baskets and four FTs. JWill missed two 2s and a 3, Chet missed a breakaway layup, Dort missed a 3, and SGA missed two 2s. As a team, they were 2-9 with two other possessions ending in SGA FTs. The last Thunder player other than SGA to score was JWill making two FTs at 5:25 left, and prior to that was Wallace with a layup with 7:32 left.
Indiana's last five minutes:
Haliburton made 2
Turner missed 3
Haliburton missed 3
Haliburton missed 2
Siakim 1-1 FTs
Nesmith made 3
Nembhard made 3
Nesmith missed 2
Nembhard 2 FTs
Nembhard missed 3
Siakim made 2
Haliburton made 2
Total 5-10 with two other possessions resulting in FTs. Five different guys took shots and four of them scored.
Subjectively, it looks to me that everyone on Indiana trust themselves and all of their teammates to take and make shots at the end of games, while on OKC, no one except SGA trusts themselves and everyone except SGA is looking for SGA to bail them out.
That's me interpreting body language and the results of how the game played out down the stretch. Disagreeing with that because it's subjective is totally fair, though I'm interested to know if anyone else sees it the same way.
The only reason it was a close game is because OKC didn't capitalize on the flood of Pacer turnovers in the first half. It should've been a 25-point lead at the half instead of 10. That's a fairly objective point, but my subjective add to it is that a big reason that it wasn't 25 is because of Indiana's poise.
If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention.
