The Indiana Pacers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, forcing a Game 7 on Sunday night. The Pacers won 108-97, and rode a well-rounded offense and disciplined defense.
While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 21 points, the Pacers as a whole shot 35.7 percent from deep--not elite by any means, but enough to outplay the Thunder--and enjoyed double-digit performances from six players, led by Obi Toppin's 20.
In Game 5, which the Thunder won handily despite an attempted Pacers' comeback, Jalen Williams scored 40 points, cementing his spot in Finals history.
However, in Game 6, he dropped another "40 bomb," finishing with a plus/minus of -40, the most of any player in a single Finals game in league history.
He finished with a solid 16 points, but racked up only three rebounds and a single assist, compared to three turnovers. He also failed to make a single shot from beyond the arc.
Williams made his first All-NBA team this season and is one of the league's best young stars. He seems to be the perfect second option behing league MVP SGA, and his putrid game is not expected to be repeated.
In Game 6, the Pacers played perfectly as a unit, and likely would have won even if Williams was in fine form. In Game 7 in Oklahoma City on Sunday, the Pacers won't be able to rely on Williams coming up short, although they will certainly stand a better chance if they are.
At the time of writing, the Pacers are 8.5-point underdogs against the Thunder.
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