Expert advice: What is the most adjustment that the Pacers G3 needs to make?

After stealing the first finals victory for the Pacers 0.3 seconds before the finale of Teresa Halliburton, the Thunder tied the series with an overwhelming victory in G2.

The Thunder won 123-107, and the strongest defense in the league allowed Halliburton to score only 5 points in the first three quarters, completely killing the opponent's counterattack possibility. Meanwhile, new MVP Shea Gilgers-Alexander scored a game-high 34 points. The series will move to Indiana on Thursday for a crucial third match.

ESPN's NBA expert team deeply analyzed the Pacers G3's rebound strategy and the potential key points of the Finals G3. Let's take a look at it: What is the most adjustment the Pacers need to make in the third game?

Kevin Pelton: It's time for Rick Carlisle to consider shortening the rotation. Although the Pacers' lineup depth has been widely praised in the playoffs, the Thunder's bench is stronger and they expanded their lead with the bench in the first and second half. In particular, Carlisle should wisely increase Halliburton and Turner's playing time. When these two players are on the court at the same time, the Pacers can basically compete with the Thunder, and once they get off the court, the team loses double-digit points.

Michael C. Wright: For an offensive core like Halliburton, G2's only 5 shots in the first half were far from enough to make him affect the game. Therefore, the point guard should probably strengthen his personal offense early in the game, which can create more opportunities for his teammates. The Thunder's defense against Halliburton was indeed excellent - he scored only 5 points on 2 of 7 shots in the first three quarters, and did not score 12 points only in the final quarter. But the Pacers need him to turn on the attack mode earlier and set the tone for the team's offense with aggressiveness.

Ramona Shelburn: Pacers must strengthen their fast attack counterattack. Although this suggestion sounds a bit risky when facing the Thunder who is good at converting offense, the Pacers did have weak offense in the G2 game - failed to put enough pressure on the Thunder defense. If they can increase the frequency of the fast break (G2's fast break score is only 9 points), they can at least create more easy scoring opportunities.

Bobby Max: The inside shock must be strengthened. The Pacers' G2's smoothest attack appeared in the second quarter - Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam hit the basket and scored 7 points in a row. This aggressiveness ultimately created a three-pointer opportunity for Aaron Nesmith, narrowing the gap to 13 points. But after the first three quarters, the Pacers lost 16 points to the Thunder in the penalty area.

Zach Kram: The Thunder ranks in the league in both regular season statistics - the opponent's free throw rate (26th place) and free throw difference (29th place). However, in the first two games of the finals, the Thunder's free throws suppressed the Pacers. As a weak side, the Pacers must seize this rare shortcoming: whether it is increasing the frequency of attacking the basket or allowing Siakamdo to misplace the position and eat a small defender alone, creating more opportunities to go to the free throw line and easily score points is the key to breaking the deadlock. What are the potential key points in the finals G3?

Pelton: Rebounding is really crucial. In the finals G1, when the Pacers missed the shot, the Thunder allowed their opponents to grab more than 30% of offensive rebounds. In turn, the Thunder's own offensive rebounds are extremely efficient, with a success rate of less than 20%. The G2 Thunder adjusted its positioning strategy, improved the intensity of the fight, grabbed 4 more offensive rebounds than the Pacers, and finally won a big victory.

Wright: Pascal Siakam scored 21+ in 8 of the 16 games before the Pacers advanced to the finals, and scored 30+ in three times in the Eastern Conference Finals. This makes people look forward to whether Sika can break out in this series - Dort from the Thunder completely locked Halliburton in the first two games, and the Pacers urgently need Sikam to step up (he has never made more than 15 shots in a single game at present). It is worth noting that during the Eastern Conference Finals, Siakam made at least 16 attempts in each victory, while in both defeats, he made ≤14 attempts.

Shelburn: The Thunder's lineup depth is their huge advantage, especially after the series is lengthened. There are always people who can stand up for the Thunder, with G2 Caruso (20 points) and Wiggins (18 points) both standing out from the bench, shooting 4 and 5 three-pointers respectively. However, the role players' performance in the series away game is often reduced, and the transfer of Harten to the bench in the first two games of the Thunder has also weakened his role.

Max: The key is "the time period without Alexander." When the Thunder allowed the MVP to rest in the fourth quarter, they could still score 10 points in the Pacers - which fully demonstrated the strength of the Thunder's lineup. If the Pacers want to win the series, they must make the most of Alexander's absence.

Kram: After Homegren and Harten did not make their debut at the same time in the first game, the Thunder used the "double high" lineup for 5 minutes in the second game. During this time, they had a net score of 4 points. Coach Mark Dagnott's strategy is: send this pair of double towers when the Pacers' Turner comes off the court so that the big men of the Thunder don't have to worry about Indiana's "Five Outside" space lineup. So, Homgren and Harten reached 50 minutes in the second game, while the first game was only 41 minutes. Given the success of this adjustment, Daygnot may use the double-high lineup more frequently in the third game.