Sean Keane

2 weeks ago | yardbarker.com | Sean Keane

It's the nature of the NBA playoffs. The visiting team in a series makes their goal to steal one of the first two games on the road, and winning Game 1 while leading for only the final 0.3 seconds in the definition of stealing a game. Going down 0-2 after two home games would be a disaster for the Thunder. For the Pacers, going home 1-1 is still exceeding expectations. It showed in the statistics. The Thunder got more rebounds, more steals and more fast break points than the Pacers.

2 weeks ago | yardbarker.com | Sean Keane

The Oklahoma City Thunder lost a heartbreaker in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. In Game 2, the Thunder never let the Indiana Pacers get close enough to break their hearts again. THE THUNDER WIN GAME 2 AND EVEN UP THE FINALS!!WE'RE HEADING TO INDY TIED 1-1 ‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/mW3WKRVqar— NBA (@NBA) June 9, 2025 All season, the Thunder responded well to losses.

3 weeks ago | goldenstateofmind.com | Sean Keane

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images Before Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green arrived in Oakland, thinking about NBA draft prospects used to be the main thing Golden State Warriors fans did during the NBA playoffs. Honestly, it was a big part of what Warriors fans had to resort to starting around February, since the All-Star Game wasn’t going to feature any Warriors either.

3 weeks ago | yardbarker.com | Sean Keane

The Knicks interviewed Jason Kidd in 2020 for their head coach job, when Kidd was a Los Angeles Lakers assistant for their title-winning team, ultimately deciding to hire Thibodeau. He's since become the coach of the Dallas Mavericks, leading the team to the NBA Finals in 2024. Kidd grew up in Oakland, California, starring at St. Joseph's High School in neighboring Alameda.

3 weeks ago | yardbarker.com | Sean Keane

There may be something about Rick Carlisle that keeps his teams motivated even when they're trailing big and late. Or he may have a talent for getting his team good three-point looks when they absolutely need it, while also suckering opponents into taking bad ones of their own. It doesn't hurt that he had Haliburton and Jason Kidd as his point guards. But the lesson for the Thunder is that 15 points is not a comfortable lead against a Rick Carlisle team.