Facing elimination and led by a banged-up but determined Tyrese Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers delivered a commanding 108-91 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night, setting the stage for a dramatic Game 7 in the NBA Finals.
Haliburton, cleared to play just hours before tip-off despite a nagging right calf injury, showed remarkable poise and grit. He finished with 14 points, five assists, and two steals, sparking the Pacers on both ends of the court. “We just wanted to protect home court,” Haliburton said. “We didn’t want to see these guys celebrate a championship on our home floor.”
The victory was a testament to Indiana’s depth and resilience. Obi Toppin led the scoring with 20 points off the bench, as the Pacers’ reserves outscored their Thunder counterparts 48-37. Andrew Nembhard chipped in 17 points while Pascal Siakam delivered a strong double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
After losing Games 4 and 5 and falling behind in the series, Indiana flipped the script with a dominant second quarter. They erased an early deficit—after missing their first eight shots—and surged ahead on Nembhard’s three-pointer midway through the opening frame. By halftime, the Pacers had built a commanding 64-42 lead, thanks to a relentless defense and timely buckets, including a no-look Haliburton assist to Siakam for a thundering dunk.
“It’s the Finals,” Haliburton said. “All of us got to give everything we have.”
The Thunder, who posted a league-best 68 wins in the regular season, were visibly rattled. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, scored 21 points but was limited by eight turnovers. Jalen Williams, after a 40-point explosion in Game 5, managed just 16 points and went 0-for-4 from beyond the arc.
Trailing by as much as 31 early in the fourth quarter, the Thunder benched their starters, signaling their readiness to regroup for Sunday’s decisive showdown at home. It marks the first NBA Finals Game 7 since 2016.
Oklahoma City is chasing its first title since moving from Seattle in 2008, while the Pacers are hunting their first-ever NBA championship. “You know, we’ve got one game,” Haliburton said. “All cards on the table. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
