The Oklahoma City Thunder have made it a near-impossible task to score on them this season. Seriously, it’s like trying to cancel a subscription you don’t need anymore. It’s possible, but they make it incredibly difficult. And after the first two games of the NBA Finals, no one knows it better than Tyrese Haliburton.
Despite popping off in Game 1 and hitting a clutch shot to win it, he couldn’t make the same kind of impact in Game 2. And it all came down to OKC’s resolute defense. In fact, even during his interview with Malika Andrews, he was asked about how it felt staring down a defense with Alex Caruso on one side, and this year’s MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, on the other. And Hali did not shy away from clarifying EXACTLY what made the Thunder such a problem.
“What this defense does so well is they’re just they’re in to out at such a high level. So every time you’re driving, it feels like there’s more bodies really is. Right? Like, all those guys are so good at being in the out, being in two spots at once. You know, they’re all elite defenders. So, you know, when I’m driving, I think even the slightest of hesitation gives my defender time to get back in front of me… So it feels like they’re in more spots than they really are at times,” said the Pacers’ point guard.
And it seems these defensive tactics drive Tyrese up a wall, as he acknowledged how good they are.
May 11, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) dribbles the ball during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
He even called them the best defense he has “ever seen”. Then, Malika Andrews dropped a bomb on him. She asked Hali how many times he thought he’d driven against this OKC defense. Now, Hali guessed that it probably wasn’t that high. But neither he nor we, watching, were prepared to hear “Zero” from Malika Andrews.
But what makes this Oklahoma City Thunder so incredibly tough to crack. After all, even Tyrese Haliburton, one of the best point guards in the NBA seems helpless. Well, let’s hear it from some of the OKC Thunder players themselves.
Here’s the secret behind the OKC defense that stopped Tyrese Haliburton
See, the Oklahoma City Thunder haven’t just been the best defense in the Playoffs. No, it’s been an entire season of defensive dominance for them. And recently, some of their players were asked about how they manage it. One of them was Chet Holmgren, OKC’s tall, lanky big man. Of late, he’s made a habit of putting a cork on oppositions. And he says it’s all down to his head coach, Mark Daigneault’s philosophy.
“So it’s like you want to make shots at the rim tough and then you want to try and eliminate them as much as possible. You eliminate a lot of opportunities to foul as well. When you keep players from getting down near the paint, it’s a lot easier to guard without fouling the farther you get from the basket. And it’s just about forcing the least efficient shots and trusting that over the course of the game, I’m going to do the best chance to win,” Chet explained.
May 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) drives against Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) in the third quarter during game two of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
But Lu Dort thinks it’s not just Daigneault’s philosophy but the personnel in OKC that helped them render Haliburton and company ineffective in Game 2. “We’ve got good perimeter defenders, we take a lot of pride in that. Being good on our communication, knowing that the screen is coming or anything And at the same time, we have good guys at the rim,” he said.
And Lu Dort is among those great perimeter defenders he mentioned. We all saw the way he hounded Anthony Edwards during the Minnesota Timberwolves series. After all, that’s what OKC does. They force you into bad positions, which lead to inefficient shooting. And while they couldn’t capitalize on it, we saw this in Game 1 of the Finals, too. The Indiana Pacers had a mammoth 19 turnovers in the first half itself!
Cracking this defense in Game 3 will seem nigh insurmountable for Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers. But after their incredible triumphs this season, we simply can’t write them off. Even if they face the best defense in the league!
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