Just like the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Indiana Pacers are now only one win away from winning the NBA Finals. On Thursday, what was the most impressive from the Pacers game six performance was their team defense. The Pacers helped create 21 Oklahoma City Thunder turnovers, while the Pacers only had 10 turnovers themselves en route to a 108-91 home win at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Just like that folks, the NBA Finals are deadlocked at three games apiece. The game seven winner on Sunday will be the NBA champion this season.
From a statistical perspective, two Pacers stood out defensively. Pascal Siakam, the power forward from Douala, Cameroon had 13 rebounds, while point guard T.J. McConnell of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania had nine rebounds, and a game-high four steals coming off the bench in only 24 minutes. The steals statistic was lopsided on Thursday night too. The Pacers had 16 steals, while the Thunder only had four steals as a team.
Offensively, it was a complete team performance from the Pacers. Power forward Obi Toppin of Brooklyn, New York led Indiana with 20 points coming off the bench. Meanwhile, five other Pacers reached double digits in scoring. Canadian Andrew Nembhard, the guard from Aurora, Ontario had 17 points, while Siakam had 16 points, guard Tyrese Haliburton of Oshkosh, Wisconsin had 14 points, McConnell had 12 points, and forward Aaron Nesmith of Charleston, South Carolina had 10 points.
Siakam is putting together an impressive NBA Finals. Remember, he won the NBA Finals in Toronto in 2019, before being traded to the Pacers in 2024.
For the Thunder to win on Sunday, they must have a better first half. In the opening 24 minutes, they were outscored 64-42.
