Oklahoma City (AP) Only ten or fifteen minutes had passed since the conclusion of Game 6 of the NBA Finals, and the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers were turning the page. The events of the last two hours in Indianapolis had already been dismissed as unimportant.
Game 7 is all they can think about.
“A privilege,” remarked Mark Daigneault, coach of the Thunder.
“A tremendous honor,” said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle.
The NBA Finals’ first winner-take-all clash since 2016 will conclude on Sunday night after a back-and-forth title matchup in which Indiana led 1-0 and 2-1 and Oklahoma City led 3-2. One club will win the Larry O. Brien Trophy after the Pacers vs. Thunder game, while the other team will go into the summer wondering how they lost the opportunity.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the guard for the Thunder and the current NBA MVP, stated, “We have one game for everything, for everything we’ve worked for, and so do they.” On Sunday, the superior team will prevail.
In certain situations, history is on the side of the home team: The team using its own court won 15 of the previous 19 Game 7s in the NBA Finals.
Earlier in the playoffs, the Thunder defeated Denver in a Game 7 at home by a score of 32, advancing to the Western Conference finals. The Pacers defeated New York by 21 in Indiana’s most recent Game 7, which took place at Madison Square Garden during the Eastern Conference semifinals the previous season.
With the exception of the 2-2 record home teams enjoyed in the 2020 playoff bubble, when everything was played at Lake Buena Vista, Florida, home teams had a 112-38 record overall in Game 7s. However, road sweet road has supplanted home sweet home in recent years; since 2021, visiting teams have won nine of the previous 14 Game 7s.
Man, it’s thrilling. It’s quite thrilling, Tyrese Haliburton, a Pacers guard, remarked. For a basketball fan, nothing compares to a Game 7. Nothing compares to an NBA Finals Game 7. I’ve always dreamed of being in this circumstance. Therefore, it’s quite wonderful to be here. incredibly thrilling for our team. It makes no difference what has already transpired. It makes no difference what happened today. It all comes down to playing one game and doing it correctly.
It’s a tale in itself that Haliburton is performing at all at the moment. Even with a strained right calf, which he has required round-the-clock care for this week, he looked brand new in Game 6. Haliburton’s family is continuously reminding him that he needs to be working on his leg, so the Pacers haven’t had to persuade him.
Haliburton remarked, “My family has been on me.” When they call, they ask, “Are you currently undergoing treatment?” I’ve been held responsible by my family.
The Thunder are currently dealing with a lot of accountability as well. Of course, a different kind.
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, they had +3000 odds to win the series coming into Game 6. That implies that if the Thunder had won the game and taken home the championship, a $100 wager on them would have yielded an incredible $103 or so. An early one-point lead in the second quarter was transformed into a complete thumping in the third quarter by Indiana’s 36-9 surge. The Thunder, who had the NBA’s best record at the end of the season, suddenly have no margin for mistake.
If Oklahoma City wins on Sunday, everything will work out nicely. They will be remembered as one of the greatest regular-season teams that did not win a championship if they lose on Sunday.
Before departing Indianapolis’ arena for the last time this season, Thunder player Jalen Williams remarked of the Pacers, “If they had won by one, they probably would have walked out of this game with confidence.” They work well together because of this. We work well together because of that. Both they and we will enter Game 7 with confidence.
Following Thursday night’s game, the Thunder took a plane home. On Friday afternoon, the Pacers were on a plane to Oklahoma City. After seeing some film, they will go through the season’s final sessions on Saturday, which will essentially be glorified walkthroughs.
Then, for everything, Game 7.
After Game 6, Pacers guard T.J. McConnell remarked, “I think we played to exhaustion.” On Sunday, though, we must repeat the process.
