NBA Finals G3 Preview: The Battle of Kings Mountain begins! Who will be the god of Alexander Halliburton?

The war rekindled, pointing at the Seal City! When the smoke of the NBA Finals temporarily dissipated in Oklahoma City, the Thunder and the Pacers were about to set foot on the battlefield in Indianapolis with a total score of 1-1. Alexander, the superstar who scored 72 points in the first two finals and set a record in his personal finals career scoring, has engraved his name on the pages of history. So, at 8:30 am on June 12, what kind of shocking performance will he offer us? The direction of this series may be set in this way!

Historical pendulum: G3, the touchstone of the championship! In the long history of the NBA Finals, G3 often plays a key role like the "Battle of the King of Heaven". Data shows that in the first 78 matches of the finals, 41 of the same 1-1 starts as this year's Thunder and Pacers. In this stalemate situation, the probability of winning the G3 team finally winning the O'Brien Cup is as high as an astonishing 80.5% (33 wins and 8 losses)! In terms of segmentation, if the home team wins G3, the winning rate of the series is 66.7% (12 wins and 6 losses); and if the away team draws their teeth, the winning rate will soar to a terrifying 91.3% (21 wins and 2 losses)! Of course, that special neutral final in 2020 is not included. Faced with such heavy historical data, young thunder and tough walkers, who can withstand the pressure and laugh to the end in the spotlight?

It is worth mentioning that the Pacers have never experienced a 1-1 series in this year's playoff journey - they all started 2-0 in the first three rounds. In the Western Conference semi-finals, the Thunder suffered the same script of losing at home G1, equalizing at G2, and away G3 when facing the Nuggets. Although they lost G3 at that time, they eventually turned against the wind, eliminated the Nuggets, and wrote their own legend. This round of playoffs is full of miracles and reversals. Although the winner of G3 is proactive, no one dares to say that he is sure to win. The charm of the NBA Finals lies here!

Ace vs.Ace: Alexander vs.Halliburton, who is responsible for ups and downs? The

series tied 1-1, and the showdown between the two core defenders was undoubtedly the focus. Alexander and Halliburton, these two All-Star Masters, competed with each other in the first two games, which made fans excited.

G1, Halliburton completed the winning or equalizer in the first 5 seconds of the fourth final game with a signature emergency stop jump shot of 0.3 seconds before the final game, which was called the "king of the final game", allowing the Pacers to thrill away the victory. G2, it's Alexander's turn to return the color. He tore the Pacers' defense line accurately like a scalpel, scoring 34 points and 8 assists, plus 5 rebounds, 4 steals and 1 block. He showed MVP-level dominance on both ends of the offense and defense, leading the Thunder to regain a game.

This time, the move to Indiana, who can continue the hot state of the two superstars and grab the key match point for the team? Or will other surprise soldiers emerge and disrupt the war? We will wait and see the peak match of this NBA Finals.

Bench Gangsters and Character Pirates: They can also decide on the series!

When we focus too much on star-studded superstars, we often ignore the dazzling starry sky behind them. The performance of role players is also an important weight on the NBA Finals victory or defeat balance.

Looking back at G1, Halliburton's final shot is great, but it cannot be separated from the stable output of Siakam (19 points and 10 rebounds), Nemhard (14 points and 6 assists), Toppin (17 points and 5 three-pointers), Turner (15 points and 9 rebounds) and Nesmith (10 points and 12 rebounds). It was their efforts that kept the Pacers close to the score and created the conditions for Halliburton's heroic moment.

And in G2, behind Alexander's fourth consecutive game of 30+ were Caruso (20 points, 4 three-pointers) and Aaron Wiggins (18 points, 5 three-pointers) stepped up from the bench, as well as the team's success restrictions on Halliburton. Doulter only gave Halliburton two points in a 4-minute and 43-second match, which was a good gate; Jaylen Williams, Caruso, Alexander and Wallace also consumed the Pacers' core on the defensive end. Thunder double stars Jaylen Williams and Homgren scored 34 points in G2, with a shooting percentage of 44%, which also shared the offensive pressure for Alexander.

Some key data often predict the team's victory or defeat: when the Pacers' Nemhard scored 12+ points, the team will lose 11 wins and 0 losses in the playoffs; when Siakam scored 20+ points, 7 wins and 1 losses in the playoffs. When Turner hits at least 2 three-pointers, the Pacers won 6 wins and 0 losses; if the draw hits, the team will win 10 wins and 1 loss. On the Thunder, Jaylen Williams scored 18+ points, 11 wins and 1 loss in the playoffs; Homegren blocked 2+ points, 8 wins and 2 losses; Wallace hit 1 three-pointer, and the team won 9 wins and 1 loss in the playoffs. The performance of these "barometer" players will directly affect the situation of G3 and is also an X factor that cannot be ignored in the NBA Finals.

Ind Castle: Can the Pacers defend the Devil's home court?

A fact that cannot be ignored is: the Indiana Pacers have not tasted the loss in a whole three months! Since March 10, they have rebounded quickly after each defeat, showing amazing resilience. He won all the games after four losses in the last quarter of the regular season, and he also won all the games after four losses in the playoffs so far. In these 8 "rebound battles", the Pacers averaged 130.5 points per game, shooting percentage of 51.8%, three-point shooting percentage of 42.8%, assist and turnover ratio as high as 32.9 vs. 13.5, and averaged 17.1 points per game!

Now, after losing G2 in the finals, returning to the familiar Gainbridge Arena, can the Pacers continue this law? They have a 6-2 home record in the playoffs, with a clear home advantage: faster offensive pace (99.46 at home vs 97.93 away), and more fast break points (16.8 points per game vs 13.3 away). 8 players averaged 9+ points per game, while only 6 players away. Core player Siakam averaged 2.5 points more at home, with an 8 percentage point shooting percentage; Halliburton also averaged more assists at home. More importantly, the Pacers' home defense efficiency (111.8 points lost in 100 rounds) is much better than the away game (115.7). Head coach Carlisle also called for: "We need home fans to create sound like Thunder fans, which is the key to our victory!"

For the Pacers, Halliburton's form is crucial. He performed poorly in the first two games of the finals (6 of 16 shots and 15 points, 9 assists and 6 turnovers), but recovered in the second half (7 of 10 shots and 16 points, 3 assists and 2 turnovers). "I have to find the form as early as possible," Halliburton reflected after the G2. Facing the Thunder's iron-blooded defense, can he be fully fired from the beginning in G3? This will be a major highlight of the NBA Finals.

Cultural and Emotion: The finals are not only the charm of basketball

NBA Finals, but also the culture and emotions it carries. Heat young player Jaime Hax, who was watching the game on G2 as an NBA player reporter, recalled his most unforgettable finals moment: "In 2010, the Lakers revenge the Celtics in the Finals, and Kobe won the fifth championship. I was still a child at the time. I was very frustrated by the Lakers' loss to the Celtics two years ago. So when they met and won, I rushed to the street to beat pots and pans to celebrate. That love for basketball has continued to this day." This pure love is exactly why the sport of basketball can touch people, and it is also the core driving force that can ignite the passion of fans around the world in every NBA Finals.

Conclusion: The Battle of Tianwang Mountain has many suspense! The war drum of

G3 is about to be beaten in Indiana. Historical data, star duels, role players, home court advantages... Too many factors are intertwined, making this game full of suspense. Is it Thunder and Knight who will take the initiative in the series firmly in his hands? Or should the Pacers unite and defend the glory of Yincheng and overtake the big score? All the answers will be revealed in tomorrow's NBA Finals. Fans, prepare for this basketball feast!