After an ominous 10-2 start by Oklahoma City, Indiana made up the deficit quickly to right the ship and get a hold of the lead that it would not relinquish for the remainder of Game 6 to win 108-91. The Pacers’ 62-35 output in the second and third ensured plenty of rest for the teams’ starters heading into the penultimate game 7 Sunday night. The Thunder had another rough night from distance, and this time the Pacers turned OKC over numerous times to gain transition buckets and made enough threes to extinguish any hopes for any comeback.
Indiana received a jolt upon the addition of Obi Toppin (20 points and 6 rebounds) and TJ McConnell (12 points, 9 rebounds(!), 6 assists, and 4 steals) in the first half, which bolstered solid all-around efforts by Andrew Nembhard (17 points and 4 assists), Pascal Siakam (16 points and 13 rebounds), and a still hobbled Tyrese Haliburton (14 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals).
The Thunder received their worst collective outing from its AT&T 3 - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (21 points and 8 turnovers), Jalen Williams (16 points and 3 rebounds), and Chet Holmgren (4 points and 6 rebounds).
After an ice-cold 0-for-8 start (of which their star Haliburton put up half of the misses), the Pacers put up an avalance of points over the middle minutes of the opening stanza. Nembhard and. Toppin had two threes apiece during that run. By the time OKC knew what hit them, Indiana was up seven. The Pacers’ offense stalled out for a few minutes, which allowed the Thunder to get within 28-25.
Gilgeous-Alexander put together a string of nine points spanning the first and second quarters. McConnell shined brighter - answering him shot-for-shot during the bulk of his minutes. Indiana rendered the two-big Thunder lineup nearly useless with a higher level of hustle and grit. A great example of the two way brilliance by Indiana tonight: a Haliburton stepback three was followed by a Turner block on a Holmgren three. Siakam’s fadeaway made it 64-42 Pacers.
After the teams combined for gooseeggs over nearly four minutes at the start of the second half, Indiana continued to deny Oklahoma City precious opportunities and grow their advantage to 28. Fittingly, a line-up of Siakam and their best bench contributors tonight (McConnell and Toppin) ended the third quarter 15-3 run to put the game seemingly out of reach. A buzzer-beating three from Ben Sheppard supplied the final points.
### Observations
* Best Final Score meals: 1) Popeyes, 2) Chicken Fried Rice, 3) Chipotle, 4) egg drop soup, and 5) chewing my fingernails.
* Stephon Castle and Blake Wesley would make meaningful impacts in this type of high-intensity playoff series.
* Who has the smoother mid-range shot form: Gilgeous-Alexander or DeMar DeRozan?
* The physicality of the series has worn Holmgren down to a nub.
* **Sequence of the Game #1**: On yet another second quarter possession where the Indiana defense pestered OKC, a steal yielded this sequence, Halburton save, Turner pass, Haliburton pass, Siakampass , to Nesmith corner three -> Breen “BANG!”
* **Sequence of the Game #2**: After Haliburton missed a tough baseline shot, he stole the ball from an unsuspecting Jalen Williams, and throw a no-look crosscourt pass to Siakam who posterized Jalen Williams.
**Game Rundown**
Isaiah Hartenstein made the first bucket and followed it up by committing a one-shot foul on Haliburton. Nembhard stripped the ball away from SGA in the paint, but Indiana could not get Haliburton or any other Pacer going early. A Gilgeous-Alexander floater sandwiched between two Jalen Williams’ lay-ups put the Thunder up 8-2. Siakam’s jumper gave the Pacers their first two 3:57 into action. Nembhard put up a trio of baskets - a corner three to tie the game, his second and third ones put Indiana in the lead. Haliburton’s three put the Pacers up seven. Gilgeous-Alexander’s handful of points brought OKC within three at the end of one.
Gilgeous-Alexander extended his run of points to nine to start the second period. McConnell sandwiched a reverse lay-up and his patented 8-footer around drawing an offensive foul on Holmgren. McConnell continued to pelt away from around the paint, and Haliburton’s three put the Pacers up six. McConnell dove to the floor on two straight possessions to disrupt OKC’s bigs. After Holmgren botched an alley-oop attempt, Aaron Nesmith made the Thunder pay at the other end with a transition three. Nesmith had a smooth and-1 to push the lead out to 16. Oklahoma City was fortunate to be down only 22 at halftime.
After the first half fireworks, the first points of the third period would not be scored until 3:54 in on a Haliburton lay-up. During this period, Lu Dort put up two bricks and an airball. After Turner cut off Holmgren’s baseline path, he recovered to block Alex Caruso’s shot at the rim. Indiana’s next two baskets came right at the rim, too, to make it 70-42. Hartenstein’s alley-oop dunk was OKC’s first score of the second half, too. And just like in the first quarter, Toppin also hit a three upon entering the game. After an 11-2 run, the Thunder would only put up six more points the rest of the frame, and Indiana found itself up 30 with a quarter to spare.