How do you describe a unique picture when the other person can’t see it, and your words have to be enough? That thought is running through my head right now as I try to pack the past week into these lines for you.
OKC welcomed me in its very own way – with a tornado – and that’s exactly how I was meant to experience Game 1.
Thursday – 06/05 – Oklahoma City
I had already suspected that a live broadcast would swallow up quite a bit of atmosphere and volume, and that it would probably be significantly louder than what I usually perceive on my screen when I watch a Thunder home game.
But what I got to experience in Game 1 exceeded all of my expectations. And I was sitting all the way up under the roof. How intense must it be when you’re right there in the middle of it?
From the deafening celebration, with the win almost in their pocket, to total silence when Haliburton made the decisive shot in the final seconds – the first lead of the game, which would go on to steal the win.
To anyone who didn’t watch the game: go back and watch it.
I still find it hard to put into words what it meant to me to experience that game live – and not just that game. The entire series.
Two teams playing in a way that’s so different from what we’ve seen in past Finals years. A 10-man rotation? A level of trust within the team that anyone can take responsibility – as if you’re the star player yourself?!
In the postgame coverage, I was really impressed by how the players handled moments like these mentally. OKC didn’t fall behind in a series for the first time – they know their strengths.
But these are the Finals now. Even though we’ll later hear Shai say at the press conference that in the end it’s just another basketball game, past experience shows that you never really know what the pressure of a “must-win game” does to you – and for OKC at home, that’s exactly what Game 1 was.
Now heading into Game 2 – knowing that the Pacers don’t care whether they’re down by 15 or 25 points – they fight until the end. And that Hali’s last-minute game winners are no coincidence – they’re a skill.
A skill you need to keep your nerves until the very last second and to believe in yourself. And seriously – how hard must it be to beat a team that believes anything is possible at any moment? I can’t even tell you how excited I was for Game 2.
Sure, on the one hand I was certain OKC would win it – it was an absolute must-win game. But that’s exactly when the thought creeps back in: can they handle the pressure? And how much of a boost will it give the Pacers to have stolen Game 1?
Once again, the atmosphere was unmatched. That even on the second media day, Pacers players said they had never experienced anything like this – though, of course, they were also aware that so far, none of them had played a home Finals game – still, it was one of those moments that reminded me why I’ll never take for granted everything I invest to be able to stand where I stand.
Being able to tell these stories is a gift. It’s especially worth mentioning what a great performance Isaiah Hartenstein delivered in Games 1 & 2.
I had the pleasure of meeting Isaiah’s dad, Florian Hartenstein, who once played in my hometown for the Gießen 46ers – he stands proudly and joyfully by Isaiah’s side, offering advice and support. After the game, I also had the chance to speak with Isaiah about his postgame routines:
Aurelia: “Dennis Schröder is known for always being the last one out of the locker room because he does treatment after games. Now you’ve become someone who’s often one of the last out of the locker room too – can you take us through that a little? Is it also because you do treatment after the game?”
Isaiah Hartenstein: “After the game I usually go to the weight room first, do a bit more treatment, take an ice bath, and then shower. I learned early on from a lot of people – including my father – how important it is to take care of your body. Someone like Dennis does that too. He’s a top-level pro, he’s been in the league a long time, and I think he knows exactly how to take care of his body.”
AR: “Have you two ever exchanged tips about that? Do you give each other advice on what works?”
IH: “I actually just found out that he does it too. But I know he’s a real professional – you can see that, even if it’s mostly from afar.”
It’s always nice to see how much appreciation he has when speaking about Dennis. And it definitely gives hope that we’ll see Isaiah wearing the German national jersey in the future. After all these precious moments, I headed off to Indiana.
I have to say, I was a bit surprised how “little” the city of Oklahoma promoted the Thunder being in the Finals – and I was pretty sure Indy would do a better job.
I had already covered two Pacers games back when Daniel Theis was still playing there, so I already knew how much this city loves its team.
Now that Caitlin Clark plays for the Indiana Fever, it’s all grown even bigger. Honestly – no matter where you walk in the city – there’s basketball merch on every corner. Even at the airport, the first thing you see is a huge Indiana Fever sticker on the floor.
Then Game 3 was on the schedule. Already during media day the day before, you could hear over and over again how excited the players were to finally experience their home crowd in a Finals game.
Funny enough, I had told Isaiah in our interview that every time Caitlin Clark is in the arena for a Pacers game, they win – and we heard she was supposed to be there again for this one.
And sure enough – we all know how it ended: the Pacers take a 2–1 series lead. And with 8 appearances from Caitlin, that makes it 8 wins for the Pacers 😉
And what a game it was. What I find interesting is that OKC hands out those clapper paddles, which makes the arena so deafeningly loud. The Pacers don’t do that – so you hear the chants even more clearly.
And I know I’m repeating myself – I don’t know how many times I got goosebumps that night. How beautiful can sports be, really?
That energy, that pure joy that lifts you up – Just priceless. I can count on one hand the people who believed the Pacers would win Game 3 – myself included. As much as I hope for Isaiah and the German storyline that OKC wins,
it genuinely makes me happy to see a team like the Pacers, who no one believed in, make such a name for themselves. You can’t imagine what was going on in the city. I’ve never experienced anything like it. Even four blocks away from the arena, people were still out celebrating and dancing in the streets.
Now it’s almost time for media day number 4.
Let’s see what the mood is like with OKC today.
But one thing I can tell you for sure: I’m beyond ready for Game 4.
Can’t wait to report back soon.
Until then – your Flight Girl
