At the Buzzer: R4G6 — Pacers 108, Thunder 91 | NBA Finals Going the Distance
Facing elimination, the Pacers delivered their best performance of the series — limiting turnovers, tightening up defensively, and knocking down timely 3s with contributions across the board.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle is well-read and well-connected, so he was aware of the main topic dominating conversations between games. Without question, Tyrese Haliburton’s status was the biggest storyline heading into Game 6. So at 6:45 p.m. ET, during his usual pregame media availability, Carlisle got right to the point.
“Tyrese will play,” he announced to more than a dozen rows of reporters at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. “He was tested at 5 p.m. and did very well. Went through walkthrough.”
More than two hours earlier, Haliburton had been one of the first players on the court, testing his strained right calf — the injury he sustained early in their Game 5 loss at Oklahoma City. He wore a special gray sock/compression sleeve on his right leg.
He had no minutes restriction, but the medical staff planned to monitor him closely throughout the game.
“This time of year, playing games isn't going to get you anywhere,” Carlisle continued. “We got a job to do tonight. We've got to get ready to battle a team that has been the best team in the league all year long.”
Here was my report from practice the previous day.
The game officials were Zach Zarba, Tony Brothers, David Guthrie, and Tyler Ford (alternate).
Jarace Walker (right ankle sprain) and Nikola Topic (left knee surgery) were both out.
The ESPN announcing crew — for the entire series: Mike Breen, Doris Burke, Richard Jefferson, and Lisa Salters.
Sports books favored the Thunder by 6 points. (They have been favored in every game.)
ABC televised team introductions once again, this time with viewers hearing the voice of PA Announcer Troy Pepper.
Watch my live postgame show in the media player below:
🏀How it happened: The Pacers were determined not to lose this game — and not to watch another team celebrate on their home floor. Thursday’s game was do-or-die for their season, and they responded with their best performance of the NBA Finals.
Haliburton gutted through it. Depth was crucial. They kept turnovers down and defensive pressure up. This was a complete performance from the Pacers — from the coaching staff on down.
They finished with 10 fewer turnovers, won the rebounding battle, and got a big lift from their bench in a 108-91 Game 6 win over the Thunder at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Fans stood for what felt like the entire game, watching the home team play true Pacers basketball.
They set the tone early. They played with pace. And they won seemingly every 50-50 ball in this elimination game. The Pacers led most of the way — by as many as 31 points — in a game so lopsided that the Thunder didn’t play any of their starters in the fourth quarter.
The deficit had ballooned to 30 by then, so they moved on to Game 7 — the two best words in sports.
It’ll all go down in Oklahoma City, as the Pacers continue to defy odds, silence doubters, and lean into their trust in one another.
And it didn’t start smoothly. After falling behind 10-2, the Pacers responded with a 24-7 run. After missing their first eight shots, they made seven of their next eight — a testament to their next-play mentality.
Haliburton started in his usual role, looking for his shot early. He drilled a 3-pointer with 4:15 left in the first quarter after opening 0-for-4. But the Thunder closed the quarter on an 8-2 spurt to pull within three, 28-25.
The Pacers didn’t commit a single turnover in the first quarter, and finished with just 11 in the game.
As I noted in my pre-game story, the Pacers had defensive changes in store — and they executed them to perfection. Instead of applying full-court pressure, they sat back and forced the Thunder to operate in the halfcourt. What had hurt the Pacers in previous games was OKC pushing tempo, getting downhill, and either finishing at the rim or spraying out to shooters after collapsing the defense.