It was a game to forget for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who came into Thursday’s Game 6 needing one more win to bring home the Larry O’Brien trophy to middle America.
The Indiana Pacers played like a team with everything to lose after a blow out 108-91 win at an electric Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to force a Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
The Indiana home faithful, in their last time seeing the team in person this season, were treated to a masterful performance.
Obi Toppin led the way with 20 points off the bench with Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton adding 17 and 14 points respectively.
Haliburton was questionable to play in the lead up to the game with a calf strain but looked like a man on the mission all game. And to make matters better for the hobbled star, he only had to play 23 minutes heading into Sunday’s decisive Game 7 in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder struggled in almost every facet, including shooting a measly 24.1% from 3-point range.
Haliburton said the Pacers wanted to “protect home court” when asked about the team’s dominant performance.
“We didn’t want to see these guys celebrate a championship on our home floor,” Haliburton told “Backs against the wall, we just responded. Different guys chip in. Total team effort. Really proud of this group.”
Haliburton added his injured calf felt OK and that he played because it’s the “NBA Finals.”
“All of us got to give everything we have. I give everything I have for this group and locker room. Just trying to come out here and play the best to my ability. My guys have had my back all year and especially tonight and that means the world to me.”
Hard to believe it’s been almost 10 years since LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers outlasted the ever-so powerful Golden State Warriors to win the NBA championship in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
That was the last time there was a Game 7 in the Finals and only the fourth time in 30 years.
Sunday at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City will be electric as both teams face a win-or-go-home game at 8 p.m.ET.
The Pacers are up 28 points with 10 minutes to go in the final quarter.
With that, both squads are putting in bench players to not run the risk of any injuries in a game that appears to over.
No one is more thankful for that than Tyrese Haliburton, who came into the game hobbled and has only played 23 minutes.
The Thunder will need to erase this game from their memory if they want to be successful in a possible decisive Game 7 on Sunday as both teams vie for a chance at the NBA championship.
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