Finals Game Six: Not Over Yet

On this Juneteenth evening, a very important NBA game took place in Indianapolis. Game Six of the NBA Finals, with the main question of that game surrounding Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton got banged up in Game Five, resulting in just a four-point performance, a far cry from the big games he'd been giving NBA fans during this run. It was announced that Haliburton would give it a go for this game. No worries; it's just the Indiana Pacers' season on the line.

On the other side, the Oklahoma City Thunder entered this evening just one win away from their second championship overall, and their first since relocating from Seattle. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was on win away from becoming part of NBA immortality. It would be tough, but not only did the Thunder win the last game, they also won the last game played in Indianapolis entering this point. The crowd was rocking. Many Pacer alums, including and especially Reggie Miller, were excited. This was the last home game for the Pacers this season, and the team looked to make it memorable.

And they certainly did just that.

I should have sensed something when SGA had a pair of very early turnovers, but it was still close during that first quarter. Indy was only up by three after the first twelve minutes, which is manageable. Then the second quarter happened. Indy outscored OKC 36-17. The 13 point lead they had was their largest of the series, but it increased. Big time. The halftime lead was 22. After three quarters, the Pacers were up by thirty! Honestly, it was over just a hair before halftime, but going up by thirty via a third quarter buzzer bearer basically iced it. All the fourth quarter did was provide a countdown to the very moment that the Pacers' 2024-25 season would be saved for just one more game.

The Indiana Pacers won Game Six, 108-91, and as a result, we will have Game Seven in the NBA Finals. The last time we received Game Seven in the Finals was nine years ago today: June 19, 2016. This is the 20th NBA Finals to go the distance, and in this game, the leader for the Pacers was Obi Toppin with 20 points off the bench. Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points of his own, while Pascal Siakam had another double-double: 16 points, 13 rebounds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 21 points, but team was completely lost, especially behind the arc. Going 8-for-30 from three is definitely not a winning combination.

As mentioned before, this is the 20th finals to go seven games. Of the previous 19 occurrences, the home team is 15-4. However, the last Game Seven, the aforementioned occurrence on June 19, 2016? That was a road win. The LeBron-led Cleveland Cavaliers defeating the 73-win Golden State Warriors in the Bay Area to win the whole thing on that Sunday evening. So while the numbers definitely favor the Thunder in this upcoming battle, that last fact definitely serves as a good omen for the Pacers. A team winning their first-ever NBA Championship on the road in Game Seven? That's the exact opportunity that the Pacers have. Also, it's historic for me, as this will be my first time recapping an NBA Finals Game Seven here on Vocal.

The 2024-25 NBA season will end with Game Seven of the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City on Sunday.

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