Subscribe
Follow Us
The Oklahoma City Thunder lost their chance to land the championship in six games due to a 91-108 loss at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Pacers overcame a slow start to produce a familiar team performance as Pascal Siakam led the way with a double-double, with Obi Toppin top-scoring with 20 points off the bench. The Thunder will now head to Paycom Center in a bid to do something they have already done once this postseason: Win Game 7 at home to finish the series.
As a matter of fact, the NBA Finals thus far have played out in an eeringly similar manner to the Western Conference semifinals between OKC and the Denver Nuggets. Highlighted by Daman Rangoola on X, fans can take hope from the fact that the first six games of both series have effectively led to the same outcomes.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals saw OKC lead all game, only to lose after a miraculous Tyrese Haliburton game-winner with 0.3 seconds left on the clock. Game 1 of the series between the Nuggets and Thunder was decided by Aaron Gordon's late 3-point dagger with 2.8 seconds left on the clock.
Game 2 against Denver saw the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein produce double-doubles to flank Jalen Williams' 32-point performance for an easy home win for OKC. Similarly, the Pacers saw Shai produce 34 points and eight assists with Alex Caruso adding 20 from the bench, leading to a straightforward 123-107 victory for the Thunder.
Both Game 3s saw the Thunder lose by exactly nine points. Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic all scored more than 20 each, with the latter also producing 16 rebounds. The Pacers were helped by Bennedict Mathurin's 27 point-burst from off the bench, as Siakam scored 21 while Haliburton had 22 points and 11 assists.
Article Continues Below
Both Game 4s saw OKC digging deep. They had their then-lowest points total of the season against Denver with 92, and yet managed to restrict Jokic's team to 87. In the Finals, Thunder managed an 111-104 win following monster performances from SGA and Williams, as the duo combined for 62 points.
Further, Thunder followed it up with Game 5 wins in both series, and looked to have settled the series for good. Against Denver, SGA led the charge with 31 points as six of their players scored in double digits. Against the Pacers, Jalen Williams made history by scoring 40 points as SGA added a 31-point double-double to lead them to a 120-109 win.
Finally, Game 6 in both series saw yet another momentum shift. Denver gave it their all and managed to restrict SGA's supporting cast for a solid home victory. The Pacers came possessed in the NBA Finals. They outpaced, outmaneuvered, and outscored the Thunder for a 108-91 win, and have now forced a Game 7.
Of course, against Denver, OKC managed to win Game 7 in blowout fashion, and repeating that feat would mean they will be crowned the NBA champions.
