INDIANAPOLIS, IN — With their season hanging in the balance, the Indiana Pacers stayed true to their identity — resilient, relentless, and ready for the moment.
On Thursday night, Indiana kept their championship hopes alive, dismantling the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to force a decisive Game 7, set for Sunday in Oklahoma City. It will be the league’s first Finals Game 7 since 2016.
“The ultimate game,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle called it.
Obi Toppin led Indiana with 20 points, while Andrew Nembhard added 17. Pascal Siakam contributed a double-double with 16 points and 13 boards, and All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton — battling through a strained calf — chipped in 14 as the Pacers overcame a sluggish start to take control and never look back.
“We just wanted to protect home court,” said Haliburton. “No way were we going to let them celebrate a championship on our floor. Total team effort, backs against the wall.”
That effort was on full display. The Pacers missed their first eight shots and trailed 10-2 early, but then erupted with a 68-32 run over the next 24 minutes — turning a slow start into a dominant performance. By the third quarter, Indiana had built a 28-point cushion, eventually stretching the lead to 31 — Oklahoma City’s second-largest deficit all season.
TJ McConnell provided his usual spark off the bench, nearly posting a triple-double with 12 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.
For the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led with 21 points and Jalen Williams added 16. But the game slipped away quickly, and with the outcome no longer in doubt by the fourth quarter, Oklahoma City’s starters were pulled to preserve energy for the winner-take-all finale.
“Credit to Indiana,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. “They played with force and purpose. They earned that win.”
The Thunder made a lineup adjustment at halftime, inserting Alex Caruso for Isaiah Hartenstein in hopes of generating a spark. But neither team scored for nearly four minutes to open the third quarter, with both squads combining to miss their first 13 shots of the half — a stretch that only cemented Indiana’s hold on the game.
Historically, Game 7s in the Finals favor the home team — they’ve won 15 of the last 19 — a stat Oklahoma City will take comfort in. Still, recent history offers caution: the last Finals Game 7 saw Cleveland win on the road in Golden State. Another road Game 7 loss? The 1978 Seattle SuperSonics — the same franchise that eventually moved and became today’s Thunder.
Back in Indianapolis, even Pacers legend Reggie Miller, seated courtside in a vintage Jalen Rose jersey, couldn’t hide his nerves early on. But after Indiana’s explosive second-quarter surge, the tension gave way to celebration.
Now, one game remains. The Pacers, who opened the season losing 15 of their first 25 games and have staged multiple double-digit comebacks this postseason, are just 48 minutes away from completing a remarkable turnaround — and possibly hoisting their first-ever NBA title.
