The Indiana Pacers have officially become the team that no lead is safe against, and that reputation is a big reason they are up 2-1 in the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In these playoffs alone, the Pacers have completed four comeback victories from down 17 or more points. Furthermore, in the NBA Finals specifically, they had two fourth-quarter comebacks against the 68-win Thunder. However, their show of resilience can be dated back all the way to last season when they persevered despite injuries and expectations to make it to the conference finals.
The series is far from over, but Indiana is in a good spot. If they can hang on and walk away with the NBA Championship, they will go down as one of the greatest comeback teams in league history.
The Pacers are continuing to make a statement
Despite being doubted every step of the way, the Pacers are in the Finals and are two wins away from winning their first NBA Championship in franchise history. Not only that, they have proven that they can go head-to-head against the best team in the league.
Even though they don't have the most talented or stacked roster in the NBA, the Pacers are so successful because of their team chemistry and resilience. Everybody on the roster has bought into their role, which is key for championship teams. More importantly, however, the Pacers never give up, even when a victory looks borderline impossible. They are a unique team largely because of this.
As the Pacers look to pull off the upset and eliminate the Thunder, they must continue playing the brand of basketball that got them to this point in the first place. They don't have a better team than Oklahoma City does on paper, but they are in control of the series because they have done a fantastic job of playing high-energy basketball wire-to-wire.
A lot still needs to go Indiana's way for them to secure their first NBA title, but as it stands, the team should be happy with where they are. They are up 2-1 in the NBA Finals against the best team in the league, and they have an opportunity to take a commanding 3-1 series lead before going back on the road. Still, they need to keep their foot on the pedal as they are now officially just two wins away from making history.