Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle stated his staff might want to “circle the wagons” to resurrect their NBA Finals marketing campaign after stumbling to a 111-104 defeat towards the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder on Friday.
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The Pacers regarded poised to take a commanding 3-1 lead within the best-of-seven collection after surging 10 factors clear late within the third quarter in entrance of a raucous house crowd in Indianapolis.
However a sensational fourth quarter from the Thunder who outscored the Pacers 31-17 within the remaining body left the collection knotted at 2-2 heading into recreation 5 in Oklahoma Metropolis on Monday.
“This is where we’re going to have to dig in and circle the wagons and come back stronger on Monday,” Carlisle stated after the loss. “This is a big disappointment, but there’s three games left.
“We have to bounce again. I need not encourage these guys. However this sort of a problem goes to have excessive highs and excessive lows.
“This is a low right now, and we’re going to have to bounce back from it.”
Carlisle, in the meantime, bemoaned the truth that the Pacers had been unable to construct an even bigger lead within the third quarter throughout a interval of dominance that left the Thunder pinned towards the ropes.
“We had some terrific opportunities that we did cash in on in the third quarter, and some late third quarter that we did not that would have made it tougher on them going into the fourth quarter,” stated Carlisle, whose staff led 87-80 heading into the ultimate interval.
“You’re up seven at home, you have to dig in and find a way,” Carlisle stated. “We were unable to do it tonight.”
Pacers ahead Pascal Siakam backed Indiana to shake off the frustration over the ultimate three video games of the collection, beginning with recreation 5 in Oklahoma Metropolis on Monday.
“We’ve won some games on the road before,” Siakam stated. “We’ve just got to go out there with our confidence.
“It should take rather a lot and it’ll be exhausting, however I feel we have now the group able to doing that.”
Pacers Talisman Tyrese Haliburton said Indiana would be ready.
“We have to be able to go recreation 5, going right into a hostile surroundings,” Haliburton said.
“Now we have to be able to play. For us to win, we’ll need to win one down there. We have a pair days to take a seat on this, watch movie and see the place we will get higher. I am excited in regards to the problem.”
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