On Tuesday night, they obliterated the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-92. With this victory, the series now goes back to Oklahoma City for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday. The Pacers, who played without injured Victor Oladipo, proved their depth with six double-figure scorers. For example, bench scorer extraordinaire Obi Toppin was the best bench scorer in the league, providing a dazzling 20 ppg.
The 2019 Championship rematch game was held at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home of the Pacers – looking to defend their home turf. The players came back with a vengeance, rolling to a commanding 64-42 lead at the half. This was a huge game in the series as the Pacers were looking to prevent the scenario of being eliminated.
Key Performances from the Pacers
Obi Toppin’s performance was instrumental in the Pacers’ decisive victory. As the team’s leading scorer on that day, he proved that he could make an impact on the game despite starting the game on the bench. Local hero T.J. McConnell was a key part of this Mizzou win, scoring 12, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing six assists. His prolific all-around play provided momentum and spark for the team and kept it up the whole game.
Andrew Nembhard scored 17 points, and Pascal Siakam had a double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton capped the well-distributed offensive punch with 14 points, five assists and two steals. His play on the defensive end was a key. Check out this steal that led to this no-look pass for a dunk in the second quarter.
“We just wanted to protect home court,” said Haliburton after the game.
“We didn’t want to see these guys celebrate a championship on our home floor.”
The Pacers’ bench outscored the Thunder’s reserves, doing the heavy lifting along with the overall balanced attack.
Struggles for the Thunder
Their opponents on the other side, the Oklahoma City Thunder, had challenges they couldn’t get past. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who led Canada with a game-high 22 points, struggled due to turnovers. In fact, he logged eight of the Thunder’s 21 turnovers, which disrupted their offensive flow immensely.
Jalen Williams poured in 16 points as the Thunder’s second-leading scorer, as a group, they simply weren’t able to match the skill and talent of the Pacers. A combination of misfires on scoring chances and failure to win 50/50 balls, including rebounds, doomed their chances of making a comeback. Gilgeous-Alexander reflected on the team’s performance, stating:
“The way I see it, we sucked tonight.”
“We can learn the lessons and we have one game for everything, for everything we’ve worked for.”
Even with all of these issues, there is reason to be hopeful in the way they should approach Game 7.
Looking Ahead to Game 7
The best-of-seven series is currently tied at three games apiece. Now the two clubs are preparing for what promises to be an incredible Game 7 in Oklahoma City! The stakes couldn’t get any higher, and both teams know what’s at stake in this epic last meeting.
T.J. McConnell acknowledged the intensity of Game 6 as a motivator for their next challenge:
“You know, we’ve got one game. All cards on the table. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
No matter how the teams come into this major matchup, fans should be in for a thrilling end to this hotly contested rivalry. The whole outcome will just depend on which of those two teams gets to perform under the most pressure. Only they will snag this last opportunity for ultimate championship royalty!
“Well, we were going home if we didn’t come out and give everything we have and leave it all out on the floor.”
As the teams prepare for this pivotal clash, fans can expect an exhilarating conclusion to this competitive series. The outcome will ultimately depend on which team can execute under pressure and seize this final opportunity for championship glory.
