Tyrese Haliburton acknowledged the Indiana Pacers’ early struggles after a 123-107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.
Despite scoring 17 points and dishing out six assists, Haliburton pointed to a pattern of slow starts that have limited his impact.
“I think I’ve had two really poor first halves,” he said during postgame media availability. “I just got to figure out how to be better earlier in games.”
Indiana was held to just 20 points in the first quarter and failed to score a single point in the paint during that period. The Thunder built a 59-41 halftime lead, sparked by a 19-2 second-quarter run.
“They got a lot of different guys who can guard the ball, fly around,” Haliburton said. “They’re really physical. Force the officials to let us play a little more.”
The Thunder’s defensive game plan focused on limiting dribble penetration and collapsing the paint, a tactic that disrupted Indiana’s offensive rhythm.
“We’re just moving the ball on the outside,” Haliburton said. “Our offense is built from the inside out. We got to do a better job getting downhill.”
Haliburton admitted Oklahoma City’s defenders made it difficult for him to operate in pick-and-roll situations. He committed five turnovers and attempted only two free throws.
“They’re giving me different looks—soft blitz, sometimes a full blitz,” he said. “I had some really dumb turnovers tonight.”
Indiana cut the lead to 13 early in the third quarter but never threatened again. The Pacers have yet to register a 20-point scorer in the series.
“We definitely wanted to play better tonight,” Haliburton said. “Our processes need to be a lot better for us to be successful here.”
Despite the Game 2 loss, Haliburton emphasized the importance of earning a split on the road.
“Anytime you’re the lower seed in a playoff series, your job is to go try to get one on the road,” he said. “It’s still a race to the first of four.”
Haliburton also reflected on a stretch in the fourth quarter where he found success off the ball, a shift he said may become part of the team’s adjustments.
“Even in the games that you lose, you’re trying to learn from them,” he said. “I’m learning where my spots are, where I can be better.”
Game 3 is set for Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where Indiana will host its first NBA Finals home game since 2000.
