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One game will be the difference between the Indiana Pacers having an extra 48 minutes to fight for a championship and what could be ultimate postseason disappointment. After losing Game 5 of the NBA Finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Indiana Pacers now head home for Game 6 of the series down 3-2 with everything on the line.
The Pacers have fought hard against the Thunder, especially on their home floor. Their fans in Indianapolis have created one of the best home-court advantages in the playoffs, and Rick Carlisle is anticipating yet another jungle-like atmosphere for Thursday's Game 6.
“I anticipate one of the best crowds in the history of Gainbridge Fieldhouse,” the Pacers head coach said on Wednesday. “We've got to find a way. The ultimate is to get to a Game 7. It's the ultimate privilege. It's the ultimate experience in sports, but we've got to take care of home court tomorrow to do that.”
“We’ve been in this position before… I anticipate one of the best crowds in the history of Gainbridge Fieldhouse. We’ve got to find a way. The ultimate is to get to a Game 7.”
Rick Carlisle on the Pacers approach to Game 6.
(via @TomerAzarly) pic.twitter.com/polBNIBZwE
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 18, 2025
Aside from having their backs up against the wall with the Thunder one win away from a championship, the Pacers face bigger issues.
All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton has been dealing with some mysterious leg injury during Indiana's Finals run, and these issues flared up to new heights in their Game 5 loss. Although he played 34 minutes, Haliburton did not make a single shot and was limited by what was revealed later on to be a strained calf.
This puts Haliburton's status for Game 6 in question. Carlisle said on Wednesday that he will be a true game-time decision.
Even though Haliburton's injury looms large for the Pacers, that shouldn't be their focus in preparation for the biggest game of the year. Even with their star point guard, Indiana has looked vulnerable at times on defense.
That is why Carlisle has a plan in mind for what needs to change, especially as it relates to their defensive approach regarding Jalen Williams.
Pacers must stop Jalen Williams
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is going to have his moments virtually every game. What the MVP has done in the NBA Finals, more specifically the playoffs as a whole, is remarkable.
In this year's playoffs, Gilgeous-Alexander has recorded 12 games with at least 30 points and five assists. This is a new record, passing Michael Jordan and LeBron James, who each did so in 11 games. LeBron achieved this feat in 11 games in three different years (2015, 2017, 2018), as Jordan did so in 1989 and 1990.
As good as Gilgeous-Alexander is, he alone can't carry the Thunder in this NBA Finals series against the Pacers. That is why what Jalen Williams is achieving on offense is so monumental.
Over the three games of this NBA Finals series, Williams has averaged 31.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 50.8 percent from the floor. In this span, he has attempted only nine shots from the perimeter after shooting nine triples through the first two games of the series.
The reason Williams is finding a lot more success on offense against Indiana is that he is playing aggressively and hunting shots at the rim.
Williams took a total of 25 shots in the Thunder's Game 5 win on Monday night. Of these 25 shots, 16 of them came inside the paint. Oklahoma City's first-time All-Star ended up with 40 points in this game, making him the third-youngest player in NBA history, behind only Magic Johnson and Russell Westbrook, to have a 40-point game in the NBA Finals.
“I’m just blessed to be in a situation where everybody wants everybody to succeed. It’s such a rare thing,” Williams said of his performance. “I think it’s ever more rare that we’re playing the Pacers, who, just looking on the outside, are kind of that way too.
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“I’m just in a really, really good situation. It’s allowed me to grow as a player at a more rapid rate because I’m not worried about what if I fail.”
Compared to earlier in the series, Indiana's defense hasn't been as aware of Williams.
Changing Indiana's defensive plan
Whereas the Pacers have been locked in on collapsing into the lane when Gilgeous-Alexander looks to drive, Williams has been allowed to move freely off the ball with no recognition of where he is. Williams scored on cutting actions or in transition a total of five times in Game 5. He also attempted 12 free throws as a result of his aggressive play.
If the Pacers are to find success in Game 6 and possibly extend this series, finding a way to contain Williams and push him to the perimeter is essential. Gilgeous-Alexander can score 40 or 50 points in the game, but if the Pacers can limit opportunities for Williams and Chet Holmgren on the interior, then they put themselves in a great position.
Many of Williams' scoring opportunities in Indiana's three losses to Oklahoma City were wide-open looks coming off assists from Gilgeous-Alexander. As good as Williams can be playing one-on-one, the majority of his scoring in this series has been from those quick cuts and finding open lanes toward the paint.
Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin, and anyone else who finds themselves guarding Williams in Game 6 will need to be aware of two things: Where he is on the perimeter when Gilgeous-Alexander has the ball and stopping momentum when the Thunder star looks to push in transition.
Obviously, a lot of this has to do with the Pacers' carelessness with the ball. Indiana turned the ball over 39 times over the last two games, which directly contributed to their downfall and Williams getting easy scoring opportunities at the rim.
While Haliburton's availability and health make an obvious difference for the Pacers' offense, his absence still doesn't change the task at hand on defense.
The ultimate X-factor heading into Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals revolves around defense and whether the Pacers have what it takes to force Williams into tough, contested shots. If he gets the same looks as he did in Game 5, then Williams and the Thunder will be crowned NBA champions.
However, if Carlisle's group can lock in, defend their home floor, and take the fight to the Thunder, then we will be heading to a Game 7 in Oklahoma City.
Say what you will about Haliburton and the Pacers' ability to score without him, but at the end of the day, it's Indiana's defense that will make or break them.
