G5 Preview: Halliburton makes bold statements, Alexander faces the most difficult battle!

The NBA Finals reached the fifth game, and the two sides drew 2:2. This crucial "Fight of Kings Mountain" will start at the Thunder home court. For the Pacers, this is a life-and-death battle - they had the chance to win the match point in the last game, but failed at the last moment. Now, they must adjust their mentality and fight against the road, otherwise they may lose the initiative in the championship. In the fourth game, the Pacers were at home and took control of the situation for a while, but encountered a crazy counterattack from the Thunder in the last 5 minutes. Their problem is obvious: the offense suddenly silenced, the defensive end cannot limit Alexander, and the key free throw missed, which eventually ruined the good game. Such a loss undoubtedly makes people sigh and reveals one of the Pacers' fatal weaknesses - they don't seem to be playing the lead.

Whenever the Pacers gain an advantage, the team seems to be restrained and lose the aggressiveness of the early stages of the game. On the contrary, when they are in a backward situation, they can burst out with amazing combat power, and core players such as Halliburton can often stand up in adversity. This strange phenomenon of "only lagging behind can stimulate potential" makes fans love and hate.

Judging from the performance of the series, the Pacers seem to be more suitable for playing the role of a chaser. Their performance under pressure is more stable. Halliburton's breakthrough pass, the cold arrow of the outside shooter, and the rotation intensity of the defensive end can often reach the best state in desperate situations. Once the team leads, it is easy to fall into hesitation, the offensive choices become conservative, the defensive focus declines, and the opponent will eventually seize the opportunity to turn the tables.

Therefore, in the fifth game, the Pacers should probably be prepared to "get beaten first, then fight back." If they can hold on to the score in the first three quarters and even maintain suspense in the early stages of the fourth quarter, then they still have hope of replicating the previous reversal. But the question is - will the Thunder still give them such a chance?

The Thunder's adjustment effect in the fourth game was significant, especially after re-activated the double tower lineup, the inside defense and rebound control were significantly improved. The combination of Chet and Jewish made the Pacers' breakthrough difficult, and Alexander's unsolved singles made the defenders exhausted. The Thunder will obviously not repeat the same mistakes easily, especially with the cheers of home fans, they will definitely keep their strengths to avoid being reversed again.

In addition, the Pacers have just experienced a reversed defeat and their morale will inevitably be affected. The Thunder regained confidence with the fourth game victory. With one increase and the other decrease, it is extremely difficult for the Pacers to win away. If the Pacers want to win, they must do three things:

to improve the stability of the key ball - no longer have low-level mistakes such as offense power cuts or missed free throws at the last moment. Limit Alexander – Must interfere with his rhythm with stronger defensive oppressiveness or he will still dominate the final quarter. Stay focused for 48 minutes - no matter whether you are leading or falling behind, you must not relax, otherwise the Thunder will never show mercy.

From the objective situation, the Pacers are indeed at a disadvantage - away games, morale is frustrated, and the opponent is in good shape. But if they can adjust their mindset, regain resilience in adversity, and make good use of Halliburton's creativity, they still have a chance to steal the victory at home.

Is this battle of Tianwang Mountain a Pacers' Jedi counterattack or is the Thunder laying an advantage in one fell swoop? Let's wait and see! Do you think the Pacers still have a chance? Welcome to leave your opinion in the comment section!