Pacers vs Thunder predictions
If you’ve been following the Indiana Pacers this postseason, you know their hopes often ride on the dynamic duo of Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton. I’m expecting Siakam to put in a solid night, chipping in somewhere around 19 points and close to 9 rebounds. Haliburton’s court vision should be huge once again—don’t be surprised if he’s flirting with a double-double, racking up about 18 points and 8 assists. Myles Turner’s presence in the paint could cause some problems for the Thunder too; I’d watch for him to grab around 9 boards and register double digits in scoring. Add in steady contributions from Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, and the always-energetic T.J. McConnell, and Indiana’s got a balanced attack that can hurt you in a lot of ways.
Switching gears to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the spotlight inevitably finds Shai Gilgeous-Alexander night after night. He’s a lock to put up big numbers, and I think we’re in for another 30+ point masterpiece, along with his usual 6 or so assists and a handful of rebounds. Jalen Williams is probably the X-factor—if he keeps up his streak of aggressive drives and smooth jumpers, he could crack the 20-point barrier again, all while being active on the boards. Let’s not sleep on Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein either; Holmgren’s versatility gives OKC a serious edge inside-out, and Hartenstein is just relentless battling for rebounds. If guys like Luguentz Dort and Cason Wallace can chip in on defense and hit open shots, things could get out of hand for Indiana in a hurry.
All things considered, I see the Oklahoma City Thunder bouncing back in a big way in Game 2. They’ve made a habit of responding to losses with energy and focus, and something tells me they won’t let the home crowd at Paycom Center down. With Shai leading the charge and a deep supporting cast ready to step up, OKC just feels poised to even up the series. The Pacers will make them earn it, but the Thunder’s resilience might just be too much to overcome this time around.
