After an ominous 10-2 begin by Oklahoma Metropolis, Indiana made up the deficit rapidly to proper the ship and come up with the lead that it could not relinquish for the rest of Recreation 6 to win 108-91. The Pacers’ 62-35 output within the second and third ensured loads of relaxation for the groups’ starters heading into the penultimate sport 7 Sunday night time. The Thunder had one other tough night time from distance, and this time the Pacers turned OKC over quite a few occasions to realize transition buckets and made sufficient threes to extinguish any hopes for any comeback.
Indiana acquired a jolt upon the addition of Obi Toppin (20 factors and 6 rebounds) and TJ McConnell (12 factors, 9 rebounds(!), 6 assists, and 4 steals) within the first half, which bolstered stable all-around efforts by Andrew Nembhard (17 factors and 4 assists), Pascal Siakam (16 factors and 13 rebounds), and a nonetheless hobbled Tyrese Haliburton (14 factors, 5 assists, and a couple of steals).
The Thunder acquired their worst collective outing from its AT&T 3 – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (21 factors and eight turnovers), Jalen Williams (16 factors and three rebounds), and Chet Holmgren (4 factors and 6 rebounds).
After an ice-cold 0-for-8 begin (of which their star Haliburton put up half of the misses), the Pacers put up an avalance of factors over the center minutes of the opening stanza. Nembhard and. Toppin had two threes apiece throughout that run. By the point OKC knew what hit them, Indiana was up seven. The Pacers’ offense stalled out for a couple of minutes, which allowed the Thunder to get inside 28-25.
Gilgeous-Alexander put collectively a string of 9 factors spanning the primary and second quarters. McConnell shined brighter – answering him shot-for-shot through the bulk of his minutes. Indiana rendered the two-big Thunder lineup almost ineffective with the next degree of hustle and grit. An incredible instance of the 2 method brilliance by Indiana tonight: a Haliburton stepback three was adopted by a Turner block on a Holmgren three. Siakam’s fadeaway made it 64-42 Pacers.
After the groups mixed for gooseeggs over almost 4 minutes at the beginning of the second half, Indiana continued to disclaim Oklahoma Metropolis valuable alternatives and develop their benefit to twenty-eight. Fittingly, a line-up of Siakam and their finest bench contributors tonight (McConnell and Toppin) ended the third quarter 15-3 run to place the sport seemingly out of attain. A buzzer-beating three from Ben Sheppard provided the ultimate factors.
Observations
Finest Closing Rating meals: 1) Popeyes, 2) Hen Fried Rice, 3) Chipotle, 4) egg drop soup, and 5) chewing my fingernails.
Stephon Citadel and Blake Wesley would make significant impacts in one of these high-intensity playoff collection.
Who has the smoother mid-range shot type: Gilgeous-Alexander or DeMar DeRozan?
The physicality of the collection has worn Holmgren right down to a nub.
Sequence of the Recreation #1: On yet one more second quarter possession the place the Indiana protection pestered OKC, a steal yielded this sequence, Halburton save, Turner move, Haliburton move, Siakampass , to Nesmith nook three -> Breen “BANG!”
Sequence of the Recreation #2: After Haliburton missed a troublesome baseline shot, he stole the ball from an unsuspecting Jalen Williams, and throw a no-look crosscourt move to Siakam who posterized Jalen Williams.
Recreation Rundown
Isaiah Hartenstein made the primary bucket and adopted it up by committing a one-shot foul on Haliburton. Nembhard stripped the ball away from SGA within the paint, however Indiana couldn’t get Haliburton or some other Pacer going early. A Gilgeous-Alexander floater sandwiched between two Jalen Williams’ lay-ups put the Thunder up 8-2. Siakam’s jumper gave the Pacers their first two 3:57 into motion. Nembhard put up a trio of baskets – a nook three to tie the sport, his second and third ones put Indiana within the lead. Haliburton’s three put the Pacers up seven. Gilgeous-Alexander’s handful of factors introduced OKC inside three on the finish of 1.
Gilgeous-Alexander prolonged his run of factors to 9 to start out the second interval. McConnell sandwiched a reverse lay-up and his patented 8-footer round drawing an offensive foul on Holmgren. McConnell continued to pelt away from across the paint, and Haliburton’s three put the Pacers up six. McConnell dove to the ground on two straight possessions to disrupt OKC’s bigs. After Holmgren botched an alley-oop try, Aaron Nesmith made the Thunder pay on the different finish with a transition three. Nesmith had a easy and-1 to push the lead out to 16. Oklahoma Metropolis was lucky to be down solely 22 at halftime.
After the primary half fireworks, the primary factors of the third interval wouldn’t be scored till 3:54 in on a Haliburton lay-up. Throughout this era, Lu Dort put up two bricks and an airball. After Turner lower off Holmgren’s baseline path, he recovered to dam Alex Caruso’s shot on the rim. Indiana’s subsequent two baskets got here proper on the rim, too, to make it 70-42. Hartenstein’s alley-oop dunk was OKC’s first rating of the second half, too. And similar to within the first quarter, Toppin additionally hit a 3 upon getting into the sport. After an 11-2 run, the Thunder would solely put up six extra factors the remainder of the body, and Indiana discovered itself up 30 with 1 / 4 to spare.
