Pacers Blowout Thunder In Game 6 As A Hobbled Haliburton Bounces Back From Game 5 Performance

The Oklahoma City Thunder were up 3-2 in the series and needed to close the series to end the 2024-25 season on Thursday with an NBA Championship. The Indiana Pacers were backed into a corner and they fought out of it.

After back-to-back losses to the Thunder, the Pacers were on the ropes. The Thunder’s defense kicked into gear in Game 5, forcing 23 turnovers and holding the Pacers to 36.7% from three. Worse, the Pacers left Bricktown with star point guard Tyrese Haliburton hobbled by a calf strain that contributed to his worst shooting game of the postseason as he shot 0-of-6 from the field and scored only four points, all of which came from free throws.

Haliburton started on Thursday, with Pacers coach Rick Carlisle warning the team “will watch and monitor things closely.” There was no need for that, as Haliburton got off to a rocky start, missing his first four shots. Haliburton bounced back and scored eight points in the second quarter, and he was up to 14 by the end of the third. Pascal Siakam added 16 points and 13 rebounds to the Pacers’ blowout victory. By the start of the fourth, the Thunder had emptied their bench as scores of media members overloaded Orbitz for one more flight to Oklahoma as they tied the series with a 108-91 Game 6 win.

“I wanted to be out there to compete with my brothers,” Haliburton said. “These are guys that I’m willing to go to war with and we’ve had such a special year, and we have a special bond as a group. I’d beat myself up if I didn’t give it a chance.”

When Haliburton was not on the floor, T.J. McConnell was doing just as much damage to the Thunder’s defense as he scored 12 points, collected nine rebounds and dished out six assists. He had four steals on Thursday and is averaging 2.3 per game in the Finals. The team that has won the bench battle has won every game in this series. The feisty McConnell was a big reason why the Pacers took this game over.

“I think in the Finals, especially in our series right now, all these games are coming down to the margins,” Haliburton said. “That’s what’s important, can you win the rebound battle, can you win the turnover battle, can you set the tone from a physicality standpoint? Those are all what’s been very important through all these games and I feel like whoever has done that has won the game.”