The Indiana Pacers lost more than a game Monday night in a 120-109 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
They lost the narrative. At least temporarily.
The Pacers have been basketball’s equivalent of Jason from the movie “Friday the 13th.’’ You can’t kill them. Sure enough, down by as many as 18 points in the first half Monday, June 16, the Pacers pulled within two points with about eight minutes left.
The Thunder slayed Jason, er, Indiana. They went on an 18-4 surge and now head into Game 6 of the NBA Finals needing one victory to win the championship.
WINNERS
Robin
Every Batman needs a Robin. Even the NBA MVP can’t do it all himself.
On Monday night, the Thunder’s Robin (a.k.a. Jalen Williams) scored a game-high 40 points on 14-of-25 shooting to go along with six rebounds and four assists. When Indiana pulled within 95-93 in the fourth quarter, Williams’ 3-pointer sparked OKC’s subsequent surge.
And you know you’ve had a legendary night when you upstage Batman (a.k.a. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), who had 31 points and 10 assists.
Little guys
It’s understandable if you’re watching Indiana’s T.J. McConnell play and laugh in disbelief when you hear his official height is 6-1. He can look really small out there weaving in between and around the big men. But McConnell, the 33-year-old backup point guard, looked larger than life Monday.
He scored 13 points in the third quarter to keep the Pacers in the game. And even though he will be reduced to a footnote, it’s worth remembering that McConnell finished the game with 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting in addition to four rebounds, four assists and two steals in 22 minutes.
Thunder fans
When it comes to decibel readings, OKC’s fans look determined to live up to the team’s nickname – the Thunder. It was so loud, you couldn’t even hear the clank of the rim after Tyrese Haliburton’s shots.
“Unreal,’’ Mark Daigneault said when asked about the crowd. “They’ve been unreal forever. But they just put the wind at our back, you know. And we have to give them a reason to. We have to play with the type of togetherness and competitiveness and spirit they can relate to, which I thought we did tonight.’’
LOSERS
A right leg
In particular, the right leg that belongs to Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton. He appeared to injure it during a fall in the first quarter and left the game. Although he returned in the second quarter, it created uncertainty.
Was the injury at all responsible for Haliburton shooting 0-for-6 from the floor? If so, how did he manage to grab seven rebounds and dish out six assists? And will the leg be healthy enough for Haliburton to be in top form Thursday night?
Butter fingers
At times, the Pacers looked like they were handling a greased pig rather than a basketball.
The Pacers committed 23 turnovers compared to just 11 by the Thunder.
You don’t need an analytics expert to figure this one out. Committing twice as many turnovers is not a reliable path to the NBA championship.
Reality
These are two terrific teams.
There will be only one victory parade.
Heartbreak is coming soon for the Pacers or the Thunder.
