The Indiana Pacers kept their championship hopes alive with a commanding 108-91 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, setting the stage for a dramatic Game 7 this Sunday in Oklahoma City.
Obi Toppin led the charge off the bench with 20 points, sparking a balanced Pacers offense that overwhelmed the Thunder from the start. Indiana built an early lead and never looked back, controlling the game with aggressive defense and disciplined ball handling.
Andrew Nembhard added 17 points, while Pascal Siakam delivered a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Despite a calf injury, Tyrese Haliburton chipped in 14 points and five assists, and T.J. McConnell nearly recorded a triple-double with 12 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and four steals.
Indiana forced 21 turnovers and capitalized on the Thunder’s cold shooting night—just 26.7% from three-point range. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 for Oklahoma City but struggled with eight turnovers and only two assists. Jalen Williams, who had a stellar Game 5, was limited to 16 points.
The game was effectively over by the third quarter, with the Thunder trailing by 30 points. Head coach Mark Daigneault pulled his starters early, turning his focus to the do-or-die Game 7.
Haliburton helped set the defensive tone, including a key steal and assist late in the first half that led to a powerful dunk from Siakam. Indiana went into halftime up 64-42 after a dominant 30-9 run to close the second quarter.
With a shot at their first-ever NBA title, the Pacers will face the Thunder one last time in a winner-takes-all Game 7—the first NBA Finals series to go the distance since 2016.