INDIANAPOLIS — If the Oklahoma City Thunder were able to close out a Game 1 they controlled deep into the fourth quarter, Luguentz Dort’s performance would’ve been one of the lead talking points in the aftermath.
Dort made five 3s at several key moments, had four first-half steals as part of that 19-takeaway barrage and then made what appeared to be the game-sealing block with 95 seconds left. Dort came weakside to help on an Aaron Nesmith drive, bodied him with some textbook verticality and then wiped away the basketball as Nesmith crumbled to the floor.
That set up a fast-break layup for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to put the Thunder up five with 87 seconds left. After this four-point swing, Dort had a clear case for role-playing hero of a Game 1 win before the ensuing collapse.
Dort’s block leads to a HUGE Shai bucket 👏
Clutch time in OKC 🍿 pic.twitter.com/z1dBwq6cLl
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 6, 2025
Dort didn’t have near the statistical explosion in Game 2. He made one 3 and had one steal. Gilgeous-Alexander was the headliner. Alex Caruso was the defensive ace whose four 3s and added contribution generated discussion.
But Tyrese Haliburton’s continued inability to find a regular rhythm is the Pacers’ problem that needs the most urgent solving, and Dort is very clearly at the heart of it. Just ask Jalen Williams, as ESPN’s Jorge Sedano did during a live interview between the third and fourth quarter of Game 2. Haliburton had five points and three turnovers on 2-of-7 shooting at that point.
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How had the Thunder been limiting him?
“Lu Dort,” Williams said bluntly.
The Thunder’s ability to bother and limit star scorers extends beyond Dort. They have elite rim protectors behind the play, no weak spots to target and a wave of options to vary up the on-ball look — as The Athletic detailed recently about Dort, Caruso and Cason Wallace, the defensive ace being groomed under Dort.
“Oklahoma has more people to throw at a great player (than our past opponents),” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “Really at both of our All-Stars. They can throw bigger, small, medium guys at Tyrese and Pascal (Siakam). It’s one of their strengths.”
“They got more guys than most teams in the NBA that are high level at the point of attack,” Haliburton said. “They’re really connected on the defensive end. I feel like they mix up coverages. I think Coach (Mark) Daigneault isn’t afraid to do things on the fly. He doesn’t do everything that’s like very traditional.”
But there’s a reason Williams gave that direct two-word answer during his between-quarter interview, and there’s a reason the entire team lobbied for Dort’s inclusion on the All-Defense first team this season. He’s the linebacker-sized head of the defensive attack, and in this series, he’s the primary reason Haliburton is having trouble. Tracking stats have Haliburton shooting 20 percent when guarded by Dort through two games.
“He has an ability to have a non-stop engine and then be physical, but also very smart,” Caruso told The Athletic. “You don’t just get to an All-Defensive team if you’re not intelligent. And he’s got all the tricks of the trade. … He has a defensive bag. People talk about offensive bags all the time. He’s got one on defense.”
The most surprising Haliburton stat through two games is probably his eight turnovers: He had 10 total in the six New York Knicks games in the Eastern Conference finals, including zero in Games 4 and 5. He only averaged 1.6 per game in the regular season and 1.9 through the East playoffs. It’s a major strength for such a high-usage guard.
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But Haliburton had five turnovers in Game 1 and three in Game 2, succumbing to the Thunder’s relentless pressure, which includes Dort, who will bump you into uncomfortable spots to give his teammates a chance to poke the ball out or occasionally just do it himself, like this from-behind steal as Haliburton tried to start a fast break.
Some of Dort’s better defensive work early in this series hasn’t necessarily ended in a Haliburton missed shot or turnover. It’s more about the lack of an attack. Like this first-quarter possession from Sunday night.
The clip begins with Bennedict Mathurin pinging it over to Haliburton with nine seconds on the shot clock. Dort is powering past a Myles Turner screen and sticking with Haliburton well beyond the 3-point line. He stays attached for the next several seconds, Haliburton doesn’t get within 25 feet of the rim and Dort even makes the late-clock pass difficult. The possession ends with Mathurin dribbling it off his foot as the clock winds down.
Haliburton had a mini-surge during the fourth quarter of Game 2. He has noted that he needs to be more productive in the first half during these upcoming home games. Will Haliburton be more aggressive in Game 3?
“Maybe,” Dort said. “I mean, I don’t know. My approach will be the same. Our approach will be the same. I don’t know what’s their plan.”
The Thunder’s general on-ball plan won’t change regardless. It’ll begin with Dort on Haliburton with a wave of threatening arms, switchable wings and protection behind him.
(Photo: Morgan Givens / NBAE via Getty Images)
