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via Carl Aredidon, Pressroom PH
The Pacers stared down the cliff's edge and dragged the Thunder over with them.
Indiana Pacers (IND) remained unfazed on the verge of being eliminated as they clobbered Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC) in a commanding 108-91 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Friday, June 20.
After losing two consecutive games in the series, the Pacers make sure to pull out all the stops and viciously boast a second half annihilation, building a lead that swelled to as much as 30.
Tyrese Haliburton, despite suffering from a right calf strain injury which hampered his mobility in Game 5, still decided to play and managed to haul in 14 points on one rebound and five dimes.
“What happened in the past doesn't matter. What happened today doesn't matter. It's all about one game and approaching that the right way," Tyrese Haliburton, eyeing to triumph in Game 7.
The Pacers never let go of their early grip in the third as they displayed a set of quick-paced transitional plays, dismantling the blue troupe's defense under seven minutes.
Conversely, although being hammered badly, the Thunder still contrived to find ways to make baskets, shooting from every side of the court with SGA on the frontline to penetrate the foe's backline.
Indiana then decided to level things up, showering four straight triples, including a cherry on top, top-of-the-key buzzer-beater by Sheppard to punctuate the third period with a 30-point lead, 90-60.
But it was a completely different story early in the first quarter as the Thunder drew first blood with an 8-2 run, gaining the upper hand from the get-go with a six-point squeaker.
However, with TJ McConnell being the court general for Indiana, they swiftly found their groove in the second frame after they mounted a 7-nil run to spark an insurmountable margin.
The yellow-clad ballers wasted no time to close the resurgence chances for OKC in the fourth quarter, carefully sustaining their cushion with extreme caution to seal the deal on their own terms.
Obi Toppin engineered his biggest number in the series-tying game of Pacers with 20 points and six rebounds, while Andrew Nembhard cashed in 17 markers and four assists, reinforced with Pascal Siakam's 16 points on 13 rebounds and three assists.
Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 21 points on four rebounds and two assists, alongside Jalen Williams with 16 points on three rebounds and one assist for the Thunders.
The Carlisle-coached team made good on their promise to show the real Pacers in Game 6 after they lost on Tuesday, carving out another Game 7 Finals since 2016.
“We have one game for everything, for everything we've worked for, and so do they. The better team Sunday will win,” said the Eastern Conference MVP.
The deciding Game 7 will take place at Paycom Center in Oklahoma on Monday, June 23, at 8:00am. (PH time)
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