On Thursday night, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in convincing fashion to force a Game 7 on Sunday. Though the Thunder have most of the odds in their favor, they should be terrified after their Game 6 loss, especially considering that Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton only played 23 minutes.
Heading into Game 6, there was some doubt about Haliburton's ability to contribute because of his calf injury. This was especially true considering how poorly he played in Game 5. However, the Wisconsin native recorded 14 points on 5-for-12 shooting, five assists, two steals, and a rebound in just 23 minutes of play. For some context, Haliburton has just one game all season long where he recorded fewer than 23 minutes, when he suffered a hamstring injury and left the game early.
Despite Haliburton also only playing seven minutes in the second half, the Pacers were in complete control of the game. With the championship coming down to one final game, Indiana has the momentum going in their favor, and they did it with their star player riding the bench for most of the game.
The Pacers bounced back in a big way in Game 6
Given how they played in Game 5, along with Haliburton's injury, the Pacers had all the odds going against them ahead of their final home game of the season. For most of the series, the Pacers did not look like the same team they were in the first three rounds. Oklahoma City did a great job of making them uncomfortable, and it looked like they were in control of the series. However, everything went Indiana's way in Game 6, and that was huge for the team.
The Pacers won the game by 17 points and held the Thunder to 91 points, their fewest in a game this postseason. Furthermore, as a team, they committed just 11 turnovers to Oklahoma City's 21 and recorded 16 steals in the win. The Pacers got back to playing the brand of basketball that got them this far, especially because of their efficient and fast-paced ball movement, and it is crucial that they make this a trend going into the most important game in franchise history.
It remains to be seen how Haliburton and co. ride this momentum going into Game 7, but the team should feel good about their odds. Not many expected them to make it to the NBA Finals, but they did. Additionally, not many expected them to make this a competitive series. Not only have they done exactly that, but they are making it clear that they have what it takes to win it all. Whether they do or not remains to be seen, but at this point, it would not be the smartest move to count them out, especially when the lights are the brightest they ever will be.