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It will come down to Game 7 to determine who will lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy, as the Indiana Pacers blew out the Oklahoma City Thunder, 108-91, on their home court to force a final game in the NBA Finals.
The Pacers went into their final home game of the season in a must-win scenario – and the entire team, from the starting five to the bench, knew the assignment at hand, running away with the game and never letting Oklahoma City sniff a chance at a comeback.
Now, for the first time since the Cleveland Cavaliers famous comeback against the Golden State Warriors in 2016, there will be a Game 7 in the NBA Finals.
Heading into Game 6, the Pacers weren’t sure if their star point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, would be available after suffering a calf strain in Game 5 that noticeably hampered his performance. Haliburton was adamant he would be playing because of the situation for his Pacers, and that’s exactly what happened when it was time for tip-off.
Haliburton looked like his normal self on the court, going 4-of-9, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, to tally 12 points with four assists, two steals and one rebound in the first half.
Pascal Siakam also poured in 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the half to help Indiana run it up to a 64-42 halftime lead, creating a gap they wouldn’t relinquish.
Guard Andrew Nembhard was feeling it from the floor as well, going 5-of-7 with a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe to score 17 points to go along with his four assists and three steals on the night.
But once again, the Pacers won because of their stellar depth off the bench, which included the team’s leading scorer, Obi Toppin.
Toppin, the former New York Knicks first-round pick, was raining three-pointers, making four of his seven attempts and going 6-fo-12 from the field overall to score 20 points. He also tallied six rebounds and two steals for the Pacers.
Trusty point guard T.J. McConnell also had 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting for Indiana, while Aaron Nesmith added 10 points. As a team, 11 different players scored for Indiana in a game that needed contributions from everyone to keep the season alive.
Meanwhile, the Thunder’s ailment in this one was turnovers. While the Pacers committed 11 turnovers for the game, they had just two to the Thunder’s 12 in the first half. Oklahoma City finished with 21 for the game, and eight of them came from league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
He didn’t have a bad night from the field, going 7-of-15 for 21 points with four rebounds and two assists. But he wasn’t careful with the ball, and the Pacers had 13 points off those turnovers. Indiana was also getting out in transition better than Oklahoma City with 22 fast-break points.
In turn, the stage has been set for what’s bound to be a thrilling Game 7 in Oklahoma City on Sunday night.
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