The Indiana Pacers came into the NBA Finals as huge underdogs against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but after stealing Game 1 on the road, the Pacers have plenty of life. The Thunder did come back and dominate in Game 2 to even up the series, but things are now shifting over to Indiana as the Pacers will be at home for the next two games. Indiana has not been to the NBA Finals since 2000, so this is the first time in 25 years that the team is hosting a home Finals game.
If the Pacers are going to find a way to win this series, they are going to need to take advantage of these two home games. They won't be able to do that without the help of their fans. Aaron Nesmith is expecting big things from the Indiana crowd.
“They’ve been waiting 25 years for this, so they better bring the heat,” Aaron Nesmith said on Tuesday.
The Pacers are one of the best home teams in the NBA, but taking care of business on the road is what has really anchored this playoff run. Getting that Game 1 win in OKC was massive, but the Thunder are still big favorites in the series.
Article Continues BelowOKC had the Pacers on the ropes for all of Game 1, but like we've seen before in these playoffs, Indiana just kept fighting. The Pacers clawed back in it down the stretch, and Tyrese Haliburton won the game in the final seconds.
The Thunder were dominant in Game 2 as well, and they didn't blow their big lead in that one. Now, the series is tied at one, but not many people are giving the Pacers a chance despite being in possession of home-court advantage.
With a 1-1 tie in the series, this is essentially a best-of-five series now. Three of the final five games will be played in Indiana. If the Thunder want home-court back, they will need to take at least one of these next two games on the road. They are favored in Game 3, and there is a good chance that they will also be favored in Game 4 when those lines come out.
Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Pacers and Thunder will go down at 8:30 ET on Wednesday night from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN, and the game will be airing on ABC. The Thunder are currently favored by 5.5 points as they look to go up 2-1 in the series.