Once again, the Indiana Pacers shocked the basketball world and stole a Game 1 victory in the NBA Finals on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who had a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter. Despite playing a brutal first half in the game, the Pacers came out on top, and a lot of credit deserves to go to Rick Carlisle, who won the coaching battle against the Thunder's Mark Daigneault.
The coaching was always going to be one of the most important aspects of this year's NBA Finals. Both teams have talented rosters, and both coaches are among the best in the league. However, when the lights are at their brightest, the coach who can make better adjustments and draw up the better gameplan will come out on top more often than not. This is exactly what happened in Game 1, and Carlisle and the Pacers have what it takes to use this strength to their advantage en route to their first-ever NBA Championship.
Rick Carlisle's poise cannot be emulated
While this discussion is typically had with players, it applies to coaches as well: experience means a lot in the playoffs, especially in the NBA Finals. Though Daigneault is a great coach and has done a fantastic job in Oklahoma City, he doesn't have the overall or playoff experience that Carlisle has. As a head coach, Carlisle has five conference championships on his resume, two NBA Finals appearances, and one title with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.
Despite the Pacers having a lackluster first half, only scoring 45 points and committing 19 turnovers, Carlisle and the team never panicked. This has been a huge reason for their success up to this point, and it is also a big reason they were able to steal a victory in Game 1.
The NBA Champions are not decided in just one game, but the Pacers should feel pretty good about their current standing. They just stole a game against the league's best team despite not even being close to their best. Additionally, Indiana is now just three wins away from an NBA title.
This series is far from over, but the Pacers are continuing to prove they have what it takes to win it all and remain contenders for the foreseeable future. The Pacers are successful largely because of their depth and team chemistry, but Carlisle played a big role for the team in Game 1, and he may be the ultimate factor that decides whether they bring home the Larry O'Brien Trophy or not.