Pacers Force NBA Finals Game 7 with 108-91 Win Over Thunder Despite Haliburton’s Injury
In an incredible Game 6 showdown, the Indiana Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91, forcing a winner-take-all finale. Fighting through discomfort, Tyrese Haliburton played through a calf strain to put up 14 points while dishing out five assists to his teammates.
The medical team tried every trick in the book to get Haliburton ready. They used hyperbaric treatment, acupuncture, massage therapy, electrical stimulation, and heavy taping to help his injured right calf. "I wanted to be out there to compete with my brothers... I think I'd beat myself up if I didn't give it a chance," Haliburton told Sports Illustrated.
The Pacers' bench came up huge. Pascal Siakam led the charge with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Obi Toppin went off for 20 points off the bench. Andrew Nembhard chipped in 17 points with three steals, while T.J. McConnell did it all - 12 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and four steals.
By sharing the scoring load, Indiana made history as the first team to have eight players score 200+ points in a single playoff run.
The Thunder's offense completely stalled. After lighting it up in Game 5, Jalen Williams disappeared with just two points. Nothing clicked for the Thunder's key players - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kept turning the ball over, Chet Holmgren struggled to score, and Alex Caruso couldn't find his rhythm.
"The way I see it is... we sucked tonight," Gilgeous-Alexander admitted to Sports Illustrated. "We got exactly what we deserved... We have to own that."
Coach Carlisle kept an eye on his star guard's playing time but gave him more freedom after watching him move well during practice. Though rusty early on, the 23-year-old found his groove when it mattered.
The teams face off one final time Sunday in OKC. Everything's on the line. "One game for everything you ever dreamed of," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "If you win it, you get everything. If you lose it, you get nothing."
