The Indiana Pacers aren’t able to pack for summer season simply but — and after their emphatic Recreation 6 win, they’ve earned one final shot at an NBA championship.
Going through elimination Thursday night time, the Pacers responded with urgency, power, and objective, dismantling the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder 108-91 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Now, the 2025 NBA Finals come down to at least one last recreation — Recreation 7, Sunday night time in Oklahoma Metropolis.
That is the second. That is the struggle the Pacers had been constructed for.
Indiana’s Id: Rally and Reply
In case you’ve adopted the Pacers this postseason, you recognize their story: survive and advance. From slugfests with Milwaukee and Cleveland to their comeback sequence towards New York, Indiana has made a behavior of answering the decision when it issues most.
Recreation 6 was no totally different. Down 3-2 and with star Tyrese Haliburton nursing a calf damage, the Pacers regarded weak on paper. On the court docket? They regarded fearless. They performed like a workforce refusing to see its season finish.
Any concern about Haliburton’s availability was erased early. The All-Star guard not solely suited up — he made his presence recognized. He scored 14 factors, dished out 5 assists, and gave Indiana 23 stable minutes with none seen limitations.
He even delivered the sport’s signature second: a sideline steal and a no-look help to Pascal Siakam for a momentum-seizing dunk that despatched the house crowd right into a frenzy simply earlier than halftime.
Most significantly, the blowout allowed him to relaxation for a lot of the second half — a useful bonus heading into Recreation 7.
“We’ve obtained one recreation,” Haliburton mentioned. “Nothing that occurred earlier than issues. Nothing after issues. It’s all about Sunday.”
The Bench Delivered
T.J. McConnell, Obi Toppin, and Ben Sheppard turned Recreation 6 right into a showcase of Indiana’s depth. McConnell was relentless: 12 factors, 9 rebounds, six assists, 4 steals — pure chaos in a Pacers jersey.
Toppin led the workforce in scoring with 20, together with 4 triples, and Sheppard’s buzzer-beating three on the finish of the third capped a 30-point lead. When your reserves dominate this totally in a Finals recreation, you’ve obtained an actual shot to win all of it.
Thunder Falter Below Strain
The Thunder had a golden alternative to shut out the Finals — and so they blinked. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his worst recreation of the sequence with 21 factors and eight turnovers. Jalen Williams, recent off a 40-point explosion, was restricted to 16.
OKC regarded a step sluggish all night time, committing 21 turnovers and getting outscored 62-35 over the second and third quarters. A scarcity of urgency, uncharacteristic errors, and poor execution gave Indiana the door — and the Pacers kicked it huge open.
“Now we have to make it occur,” Holmgren mentioned. “It’s not going to occur accidentally.”
What to Anticipate in Recreation 7
Let’s be clear: the Thunder nonetheless have homecourt, the league MVP, and 68 wins of their again pocket. They’ve been one of many NBA’s most full groups all yr.
However the Pacers have momentum, perception, and now, a blueprint. In the event that they replicate the defensive depth, bench manufacturing, and steadiness they confirmed in Recreation 6 — and if Haliburton stays upright — they’re greater than able to pulling the upset.
In a Recreation 7, something can occur. The stakes are complete. The strain is overwhelming. And as Haliburton put it — that is precisely the place Indiana desires to be.
