Beyond his Game 1 heroics, Tyrese Haliburton has largely been neutralized by a legendary Oklahoma City defense to open these NBA Finals. The Thunder have held Indiana’s star point guard in check after a stellar first three rounds; through two games, he’s averaging 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and six assists (four turnovers).
Though his efficiency sits slightly above his playoff average (59.6 percent vs 58.3 percent true shooting), Haliburton clearly hasn’t found the scoring success he did in past rounds. For the Pacers to pull off a miraculous upset over the Thunder, even after stealing Game 1, they’ll need their ace to bounce back in a big way.
Indiana posted the NBA’s third-lowest turnover rate (13.2 percent) during the regular season and that number has only slightly increased (13.7 percent) in the postseason. That number spiked to 20.2 percent in two games against the Thunder, which lead the playoffs in opponent turnover rate (18.3 percent).
To this point, Oklahoma City’s defense has won the turnover battle with Haliburton, forcing eight turnovers from Indiana’s usually steady signal caller in Games 1 and 2. He hasn’t turned the ball over eight times across two games since March 2024.
Haliburton’s first giveaway of Game 2 exemplifies the pressure Oklahoma City applies to offensive players. Alex Caruso isn’t attached to Haliburton as he chases him through the elevator screen, but Haliburton steps on the halfway line as he retreats, anticipating ball pressure from the defense:
Led by Luguentz Dort, a cavalry of elite perimeter defenders has made life a nightmare for Haliburton. He’s already spent 55.4 partial possessions guarded by Dort in the series, making just one of his five shot attempts during those possessions. Even when Dort switches off Haliburton, he still must contend with Jalen Williams’ and Cason Wallace’s aggressive point-of-attack defense.
Oklahoma City’s overwhelming help defense has made driving extremely challenging for Haliburton. Even without traditional East-West shake in his handle, Haliburton’s speed and pacing can help him create advantages against great defenders. Throwing a second defender in the mix, often coming from one away, has flummoxed Haliburton and forced him into early pickups and turnovers.
Haliburton struggle vs help pic.twitter.com/Yh8eo9W1Z8
— bjpfclips (@bjpfclips) June 11, 2025
Against the Thunder, he’s driving less often than his playoff average (11.4 vs 8.5 per game). An Oklahoma City defense that packs the paint hasn’t offered any airspace to Haliburton, who’s attempted two shots at the rim (1-of-2 shooting) and zero free throws in the Finals.
Though Haliburton’s outside shooting and quick-hitting es fuel great offense, the Pacers won’t play their best without him cracking the paint. To enjoy more consistent offensive success, Indiana must find ways to unlock Haliburton’s driving, which can come from manipulating Oklahoma City’s defensive positioning.
Head coach Rick Carlisle already somewhat mirrored Oklahoma City’s ‘flat’ spacing, with three or four of its off-ball players stationed below the sideline hash marks to open space. Gilgeous-Alexander dominates here without help defenders to bother him, but Haliburton encountered some success with this arrangement as well throughout the first two games.
High P&R for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Both wings are empty but OKC adjusting to have Hartenstein set a step up, flat angle screen, Shai can attack either way. Topping sets up on left side, Shai drives right and finishes. pic.twitter.com/mF8HV8Knhm
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) June 9, 2025
Flat spacing offers a potential counter to Oklahoma City’s gap help troubling Haliburton. With just one point-of-attack defender in the picture, Haliburton generated deeper touches and higher-quality looks.
Compared to an offense like the Thunder’s, the Pacers turn to flat ball screens more often than flat isolations. Those plays have helped Haliburton find creases against Oklahoma City’s airtight defensive shell. Note the spacing in the clips below, with three Pacers below the wings to create room for Haliburton-Turner pick-and-rolls:
Haliburton flat spacing pic.twitter.com/VeYa6KXy5A
— bjpfclips (@bjpfclips) June 11, 2025
Early in the first quarter of Game 2, Indiana expanded on its flat spacing by adding a flare screen to the corner. The screen punishes Oklahoma City’s aggressive help defense, which often abandons the corners to deter paint touches. It’s another way to distract help defenders and unshackle Haliburton, even if he keeps the ball:
Beyond a specific alignment, manipulating spacing is as critical as ever against a defense like Oklahoma City’s. This Spain pick-and-roll removes helpers with a back screen to spring Haliburton downhill:
These changes are, of course, easier said than done. The Pacers are undefeated after a loss in the playoffs, reflecting Carlisle’s ability to effectively adjust and adapt. Oklahoma City is a different beast, however, rolling out a defense unlike any other he’s game-planned for in the postseason.
Indiana’s problems against the Thunder extend beyond Haliburton. Even the Pacers struggle to match their speed, strength and depth for an entire 48-minute basketball game. But Haliburton returning to top form can help paper over many of those problems, elevating the Pacers beyond the sum of their parts. He must approach his peak going forward, especially as a slasher, for his team to win three more games and upset Oklahoma City.
