Game 1 hero Tyrese Haliburton struggled in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, scoring only five points in the first three quarters before finishing with 17. As the series shifts back to Indianapolis, here are three ways the Indiana Pacers can help get their All-Star back on track.
1. Protect Haliburton on defense
One of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s strategies for slowing down Haliburton’s offense is to wear him out on defense. The Thunder regularly ran Haliburton through multiple screens on the defensive end, forcing him to get around 7-footers Isaiah Hartenstein or Chet Holmgren and then another Thunder wing to chase his opponent.
Hartenstein is listed at 250 pounds. Haliburton is listed at 185. After a while, those screens are going to take a toll. Instead, the Pacers should mix in their zone defense, one they used for only a handful of possessions in Game 2. They should also try pre-switching Haliburton early on Thunder defensive possessions, to save his energy for the offensive end of the floor.
2. Be more patient
The Thunder love to pack the paint on defense, sometimes collapsing the defense so all five defenders have at least one foot touching the colored area. In Game 2, Indiana scored only 0.22 points per play when Haliburton drove into the Thunder’s dense interior defense.
So Indiana needs to create more driving lanes for Haliburton, who is extremely effective as a passer when he’s on the move. That could mean starting him off-ball and running him through screens so he can catch the ball on the move. It could mean sending more players to cut through the lane to open up opportunities.
But what the Pacers can’t do is settle for mediocre shots, like contested three-pointers or long two-pointers. A consequence of the Thunder’s paint-centric approach is that they often help off three-point shooters in the corner. Indiana was 7-of-16 on corner threes in Game 2, and 7-of-28 on all others.
