Four highlights of the finals G6: It's better to have Harry than nothing? The Pacers need to improve rebounding + turnovers

At 8:30 a.m. on June 20, Beijing time, the finals G6 will start. The current overall score is that the Thunder lead the Pacers 3-2. What kind of plot will G6 play out? The official website of the NBA lists the four major highlights worth paying attention to in the G6 of the Finals -

1. It's better to have Haliburton than nothing

One could point out that Haliburton missed games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics in the closing stages of the Pacers' season last year due to a recurrence of an old groin injury, when backcourt partner Nembhard was called on to perform well — the Pacers shot more from the field and grabbed 10 more rebounds in both games.

But the result was still a sweep for the Greens. The problem was not what Nembhard did when he took on Haliburton's role, but rather the failure of the replacement to come into the starting lineup to deliver the firepower: substitute Ben Shepard was called up in the nick of time, scoring just three points on 1-of-8 shooting in two games.

In the fifth game of the finals, Nembhard had a sluggish performance in the second half, perhaps because he continued to defend Thunder MVP Alexander and was physically exhausted. McConnell has energized the team's offense at least twice in the series, but the Pacers still rely on the spark he brings from the bench.

Of course, if the team's medical team believes Haliburton could be at more serious risk of injury when he plays with an injury (in recent years, several NBA stars have suffered Achilles tendon tears due to calf strains), he won't play. If the risks are manageable, he will decide for himself – and his current stance already shows his inclination:

"It's been the case many times in my career where the team trusts me with my physical judgment," Haliburton said, "and when the decision is in my hands, they trust me to make the right choice...... I want to play, that's the plan. ”

2. McConnell will get more playing time

Even if McConnell doesn't start in place of Haliburton, the scrappy backup point guard could play more than the 22 minutes in Game 5 in Game 6. This is not only because of the potential shortage of personnel, but also because McConnell deserves more opportunities for efficiency on the field.

The 33-year-old scored 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting in Game 5 for a plus/minus of +4, while the Pacers ended up losing by 11 points. In the second game of the Finals, he had 11 points and 6 assists in 18 minutes, and in the third game when the Pacers won, he contributed 10 points, 5 assists and 5 steals in 15 minutes.

Considering Haliburton's offense was limited after suffering a calf injury in Game 5, McConnell should have had more time in the final quarter. Carlisle said he could see McConnell was tired, and the players agreed with the coach. "To be honest I can't even remember, I have complete trust in Carlisle's rotation," McConnell said, "and one thing has to be clear, he's a Hall of Fame coach and he knows what he's doing. ”

3. Be wary of rebounds and turnovers

So far in the series, the devil is in the details. The Thunder disrupted the Pacers' rhythm and offensive efficiency by forcing opponents to make turnovers and controlling rebounds — in the three games the Thunder won, the Thunder grabbed a total of 131 rebounds (118 for the Pacers), and took advantage of the Pacers' turnovers to score 71 points, and their own turnovers allowed the Pacers to score only 49 points.

The Pacers' recent problem is that the tempo has slowed down (Haliburton's right leg lacks explosiveness) and has to sink into a half-court offense, at which point the Thunder's league-leading defense becomes airtight.

Thunder coach Daigneault spoke about the team's defensive foundations, which he laid when he was promoted to head coach in 2020 and has continued to strengthen since then: "Without new tricks, we're not going to bring new tactics today, we're just going to continue to polish what we've been doing for five years." ”

4. The Thunder need to strengthen the transfer of the ball

The Thunder had 24 assists in 40 field goals in Game 5, but they had just 27 assists in 74 goals in the two games they had at home for the Pacers. Since the Finals, the Thunder's overall dribble performance has slipped — averaging 216 passes per game, about 25 percent less than in the regular season of 68 wins, apparently due to the more pressing defensive opposition against opponents playing at home.

"We've got to play better on the offensive end to win," Daigneault said, "and they've been great at home, they've had a lot of energy, they've been pressing defensively and they've been pushing fast, and we're expecting them to continue that style in Game 6." ”