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Warriors legend warns Pacers, breaks down how he solved the Kyrie Irving threat in 2017 Finals

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Bergas Agung | Last updated Jun 8, 2025 7:45 AM ET

Indiana Pacers won the first game 111-110 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, but there was one concern: the Thunder drew a lot of fouls.

In that game, the Thunder had 24 free throws and made 21 of them. Their main star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander converted seven free throws alone.

Meanwhile, the Pacers only had 21 free throws throughout Game 1 and made just 15 of them. This disparity is concerning and is an issue they need to address in future games.

Pacers must contest Kyrie Irving from behind to avoid fouls, Shaun Livingston explains

Golden State Warriors legend Shaun Livingston shared his experience as advice for the Pacers on how to minimize fouls.

Livingston learned from the 2017 Finals where the Warriors needed to handle Kyrie Irving, who was also excellent at driving to the rim and drawing contact.

“We lost 2016 to Cleveland. We come back 2017 and the Cavs, they’re playing kind of the same way but they’re actually a better team,” Livingston said on the podcast with Draymond Green.

“They have Kyrie. The way that he plays, the way that he burned us really in that Game 5, Game 7 getting to his spots and if you watch, you know he comes from Kobe’s school in that way footwork,” he added.

“I remember Steve [Kerr] talking about how we were watching film and it’s like ‘You guys that are the nail, if you could get in and contest from the behind, from the backside, that rear view contest’,” he said.

Film study and backside contests key to limiting free throws

Irving only got 20 free-throw attempts throughout five games in 2017, where the Warriors won the series 4-1. Meanwhile, Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant got at least 41 and 39 attempts respectively.

That kind of defensive strategy based on film study and improving contest technique is what Livingston thinks the Pacers can also apply against Gilgeous-Alexander.

“That’s something to think about with Indiana. Just in those pockets, it’s hard because you don’t want to foul,” he added.

Pacers must adjust defensive approach to avoid foul trouble

The strategy involves positioning defenders to contest shots from behind rather than meeting drivers head-on, which often results in foul calls.

This approach helped Golden State flip the free-throw advantage in their favor during that championship run.

And for the Pacers, they have some good defenders and the mentality that they can fight under the rim to contest players like Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams if they decide to generate fouls.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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