Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton are the two faces of basketball in Indiana. But for the Pacers, Clark has a bigger significance. Her presence at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse during Pacers’ games has been a luck charm, with Indiana going 8-0 in the playoffs. On Friday night, that streak finally ended.
Luck Charm No More, Pacers Lose with Superfan in Attendance
Before Indiana’s loss in Game 4 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Pacers were 8-0 with Clark in attendance during the postseason. The Fever star is a close friend of Haliburton, and the two talk all the time. Clark will have only one more chance to bring her luck to the Pacers, in Game 6. Hopefully for Pacers fans, Indiana will lead the series at that point, and the team can clinch its first NBA championship in history.
Even Haliburton, the Pacers starbpoint guard, knows the record with the Fewer star in attendance. In an ESPN article, he said,
“Trust me. I know it. And if I didn’t know it, everyone would make sure that I did.”
He was talking about the Clark effect. In the article, he also talked about how the two are close friends and often go on double dates with their significant other.
As for Clark attending Pacers games, she was there for two clinching games which were Game 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks and Game 6 against the New York Knicks. Against the Knicks, she got a chance to troll Jalen Brunson in the process.
Who Will Blink First, the Pacers or the Thunder?
There is one more streak on the line for both the Thunder and the Pacers. Neither team has lost back-to-back games this postseason. If that streak continues, the Pacers will win the championship title in seven games. For that to happen, the road team has to win each of the following three games. It is hard to see no home team winning a game until the end of the NBA Finals.
Pacers Need Caitlin Clark on the Road
The Thunder has been dominant in these playoffs on its home floor. Even in the NBA Finals, the Pacers have led for less than two minutes in the first two games played in Oklahoma City.
The challenge for the Pacers will be Game 5. History has shown that Game 5 is the pivotal moment in a Finals series or a playoff series. So far, teams that have won Game 5 after being tied 2-2, have gone on to win 81.8% of the playoff series. However, it is worth noting that history also shows that the team winning Game 3 wins more than 80% of the NBA Finals series as well.
We can look back at some of the recent NBA Finals that were tied 2-2. In 2021, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns were tied 2-2 with the fifth game scheduled in Phoenix. While many remember Giannis Antetokounmpo dropping 50 in Game 6, in Game 5, he was also sensational. The Bucks as a whole, shot 57.5% in Game 5 to win a road game. That is what the Pacers will have to do.
Or we can look at the Golden State Warriors in 2022, winning Game 5 on their home floor. Andrew Wiggins was the hero of that game, scoring 26 points on 12-23 shooting. The Thunder have a slight advantage because they have already been in a 2-2 situation during these playoffs. They were in a similar situation in the second round against the Denver Nuggets. They won Game 5 and went on to win in seven games. Time will tell whether they will repeat that feat, and if Caitlin Clark will be in the Pacers corner for Game 6.
Photo credit: © Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
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