The Indiana Pacers are currently gearing up for Game 6 of the NBA Finals vs the Oklahoma City Thunder, where they will try to stave off elimination and force a Game 7. The Pacers have endured two rough fourth quarters in a row to go down 3-2 in this series despite playing improved basketball for large stretches of the last couple of games.

The Pacers will have the benefit of playing in front of their home fans on Thursday for Game 6, and recently, head coach Rick Carlisle spoke on what he anticipates the environment will be like, per NBA TV on X, formerly Twitter.

“I anticipate one of the best crowds in the history of Gainbridge Fieldhouse,” said Carlisle. “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.”

There is currently some doubt regarding the status of star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was visibly limited during Game 5 with a calf injury, not recording a single field goal in the contest.

A huge opportunity for the Pacers

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While it may be easy to lament the golden opportunity that the Pacers let slip through their fingers in Game 4, the reality is still that Indiana is only a two-game winning streak away from hoisting a Larry O'Brien trophy, something that would have been unthinkable to most fans just a couple of months ago.

In order to force a Game 7, Indiana will have to severely cut down on its turnover issues. The good news for the Pacers is that, even if Haliburton is indeed hampered or out of the lineup altogether, backup point guard TJ McConnell proved more than capable of holding down the fort in his minutes during Game 5.

The Pacers will take the court for Game 6 and look to stave off elimination on Thursday evening at 8:30 PM ET. The game will be televised nationally by ABC.