Indiana Pacers forced the NBA Finals to Game 7 by routing the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 in Game 6 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse arena in Indianapolis. Power forward Pascal Siakam stood out with an outstanding performance, accumulating 16 points alongside 13 rebounds for the Indiana Pacers to outplay the Thunder.
The likes of Obbi Topin (20 points), Andrew Nembhard (17 points) and Tyrese Hamilton (16 points) also chipped in with notable contributions to give the Pacers a chance at making history Hamilton, notably, played with a strained calf but was second to none in making a useful contribution.
Although the Indiana Pacers missed their first eight shots to be down 10-2, they went on to hit their straps, outscoring the Thunder 68-32 in the next 24 minutes of the contest. The third quarter saw the Pacers lead by 28 and the margin eventually extended to 31. The Thunder also notably didn't score a goal until the 6:57 mark. TJ McConnell, the point guard, also brought the spark for the Pacers, finishing with 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
"We will regroup" - Oklahoma City Thunder coach
Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault admitted that it was a disappointing effort from them but said it will start from zero and they will regroup to come back strong. Daigneault stated:
"We had the same opportunity. Sunday the score will be 0-0 when the ball goes up in the air. It's a privilege to play Game 7, it's a privilege to play in the finals. It was disappointing, we are grateful for the opportunity and we put in a lot of effort to be able to play that game at home. Obviously, disappointed tonight, but we will regroup, back to zero, learn from it with clear eyes like we always do, get ourselves as ready as we can be to play Game 7 on Sunday.
