The Indiana Pacers fell just short in their quest to win the franchise's first-ever NBA title, losing 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. It was a heartbreaking end to an incredible playoff run, and Pascal Siakam apologized to the fans postgame for the team coming up short.
"The support all year has been amazing," Siakam said. "Just to see how the city was so alive, and we feel blessed that we were the people that gave them that. We're sorry, we wanted to do it for Indy. We wanted it more than anything.
"Just for the city, for the state, just 'cause they deserve it," Siakam added. "These guys sleep, breathe basketball, and it was refreshing for me to be in that environment and to see how much basketball means to a group of people. I'm super grateful, and I hope you guys can see that we fought hard and we're sorry we couldn't get it done."
The Pacers certainly cannot be accused of not giving it their all out there on the court. Even after suffering a devastating blow in the form of a brutal injury to Tyrese Haliburton in the first quarter of Game 7, the team battled hard.
The Pacers even led 48-47 at halftime to keep hopes alive of an unlikely victory. The Thunder would seize control in the third quarter, however, as they won it 34-20 to take an 81-68 lead into the fourth. The visitors did manage to go on a couple of runs in the final period, but the Thunder would cruise to victory in the end.
If the Pacers were to pull off a shocking win without Haliburton, they were going to need an outstanding performance from Siakam. Unfortunately, the three-time All-Star wasn't quite at his best.
Siakam finished with 16 points (5-13 FG), four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block against the Thunder. The 31-year-old only had three points in that critical third quarter, which ended up deciding the outcome of the game.
The man keeping the Pacers somewhat afloat during that stretch was one T.J. McConnell. McConnell had 12 points in the third quarter and would finish the night with 16 points (8-13 FG), six rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block.
Like Siakam, McConnell also praised the Pacers' fans and apologized to them for not coming away with the victory.
"They're absolutely incredible," McConnell said. "Just want to apologize for coming up short. We wouldn't be in this position without them. They've willed us to a lot of wins, and it's an honor and a pleasure to play in front of them."
McConnell appeared to take this loss harder than most, as he was very emotional after the game. At one point, his mother had to yell at a cameraman to stop recording as her son was in tears.
Entering this game, you'd have given the Pacers a good chance of returning to the Finals in 2026 regardless of the outcome. With Haliburton now set for a long spell on the sidelines with his Achilles injury, though, it's hard to see this team making a lot of noise in the 2025-26 campaign.
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