Indiana Pacers DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Indiana Pacers forward/center Obi Toppin played an extremely important role off the bench for his squad in their Game 1 win over the Thunder in Oklahoma City. He knocked down five three-pointers and finished with 17 points, five rebounds, and two assists in his 25 minutes. He finished with the second-most points on the team and played the most minutes of any player in Indiana's second unit. Toppin hit multiple key three-pointers to keep the Pacers within striking distance, and ultimately, his team stormed back and took the lead on Tyrese Haliburton's game-winning jumper. Toppin is set to be a key piece off the bench for Indiana in the NBA Finals, and he'll look to help his team take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series on Sunday night.

Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith had 10 points and a team-high 12 rebounds in 31 minutes in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. He was one of three Pacers with a double-double on the night, joining Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton. Nesmith knocked down three three-pointers and added an assist and a blocked shot while also finishing with five turnovers. Nesmith's supporting role will continue to be extremely important for the Pacers in the Finals, and it looks like he'll continue to get plenty of minutes and opportunities from his spot in the starting five.

Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam scored a team-high 19 points on Thursday night to help the Pacers secure a road win in the first game of the NBA Finals. Siakam added 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double and also chipped in three assists and a blocked shot. Siakam led a balanced scoring attack that featured six players with double-digit points, but no one with 20 points or more. He led the team with 15 field goal attempts as well. After winning MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals, the 31-year-old will continue to play a critical role for the Pacers as they look to claim the championship with three more wins. Siakam

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton emerged as the hero once again for his team in a thrilling Game 1 victory in Oklahoma City. The Pacers trailed most of the game and by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter, but outscored the Thunder by ten points in that final quarter to claim a 111-110 win in the first game of the NBA Finals. Haliburton's game-winner with 0.4 seconds left gave him 14 points on the night to go with 10 rebounds, six assists, two three-pointers, and three turnovers. After seizing home court advantage, he and the Pacers will look to take a commanding 2-0 lead on Sunday, when Game 2 is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.

Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (ankle) has been cleared to play in Thursday's Game 5 against the New York Knicks. He was initially listed as questionable for the contest due to a right ankle sprain Nesmith suffered in Game 3 of the series. Nesmith has been excellent in the series, averaging 16.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals with red-hot 61.9 percent shooting from downtown. The Knicks must do a better job guarding Nesmith around the three-point line; otherwise, their season could be over following Thursday night.