Inside the Comeback: How the Pacers pulled off a stunner in Game 1 of the NBA Finals

By TIM REYNOLDS

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The game plan was the obvious one. Just chip away, the Indiana Pacers said, because there was no other option that would have made any sense at that point.

They were down by 15 with 9:42 remaining. They were turning the ball over about once every three possessions, couldn’t stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and had the Oklahoma City crowd in a deafening fury.

“We just said, ‘Hey, let’s just keep chipping away at the rock,‘” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.