Heading back to Paycom Center for Game 5, the Oklahoma City Thunder must outperform an Indiana Pacers team who thrives in road environments.

The Thunder's do-it-all energizer and defensive menace has been a bigger part of the offense, and his playing time has increased accordingly in the most important games of the season.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Game 1 of the NBA Finals saw an epic fourth-quarter comeback followed by a Tyrese Haliburton game-winning shot that will live forever in Indiana Pacers lore. HALIBURTON WINS GAME 1 FOR THE PACERS. THEY TRAILED BY 15. ANOTHER CRAZY INDIANA COMEBACK 🚨 https://t.co/heI0ELIivW pic.twitter.com/1Qr6XlDbA7

For the Indiana Pacers, a chance at being perfect in Games 1 and 2 of these playoffs went awry. They’ll have to settle for a mere split of the opening two games in the NBA Finals instead.

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle on Sunday decried the swell of public criticism of the officiating that flowed following the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Game 4 win in the 2025 NBA Finals, describing the carping on perceived mistaken calls and non-calls — specifically those involving longtime NBA referee Scott Foster — as,