Photo by Kylie O Sullivan / Unsplash
The Indiana Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder convincingly in game 6 of the NBA finals, 108 – 91. Indiana’s bench outscored Oklahoma City’s bench, 48 – 37. Indiana’s 6’1” guard, T.J. McConnell, was impressive again. He had 12 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals. He is the first bench player to post those stats in an NBA finals game. His consistent play is a major factor behind the Indiana Pacers success in this series.
Even more exceptional in game 6 was Obi Toppin, who led the Pacers in scoring with 20 points off the bench. The key to the Pacers’ offensive attack has been balanced scoring. Indiana is the first NBA team in the history of the playoffs to have eight players score at least 200 points: Pascal Siakam (456), Tyrese Haliburton (390), Myles Turner (311), Aaron Nesmith (288), Andrew Nembhard (272), Benedict Mathurin (219), Obi Toppin (216), and T.J. McConnell (202).
Indiana star (and Wisconsin native) Tyrese Haliburton played a gusty game while playing with a strained calf. Many sports experts thought Haliburton would either not play or be ineffective due to his injury. A joyous Tyler Haliburton was interviewed after the win, saying “It’s a one-game series now, we believe we can win.”
The offense might sell tickets, but the defense wins championships. Indiana’s defense was superb! Indiana’s swarming defense dominated Oklahoma City. The Thunder committed 21 turnovers – 16 of which were steals – leading to easy fastbreak opportunities for the Pacers. If Indiana is to have a shot of beating the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road in game 7, they must again play outstanding defense.
The 2025 NBA Championship Series has been very exciting. It has been one of the most evenly matched series in years. This is the first NBA finals to go to game 7 since the 2015-2016 season when the Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers. The deciding game is scheduled for Sunday June 22 at 7pm Central Time, and it’s being televised on ABC.
When all is said and done, I don’t think the Indiana Pacers will prove to have the stamina to play with the same level of defense they showed in game 6. I predict the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder will win game seven at home. League MVP SGA will lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to their first NBA championship!