The triumph of the collective game: Indiana Pacers took the NBA finals to the seventh game
With a great collective performance, Rick Carlisle’s team erased his rival from the court, won 108-91 and the series will be defined on Sunday in the seventh game.
The poster that showed one of the fans in the gainbridge Fieldhouse anticipated the future: “The series is not finished yet.” Reggie Miller, maximum idol in the history of PACERSwith the shirt of his former partner Jalen Rose on, encouraged and celebrated euphoric. “The most difficult game is the closing,” said Fabricio Oberto at the beginning of The transmission of AM850 and Disney+. From the beginning of the sixth duel of the NBA finals, Indiana played with more energy, more intelligence and more desire than Oklahoma City Thunder And he took The triumph for 108-91.
The collective construction of the Rick Carlisle team exceeded broad margin to the duo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, with 21 and 16 points respectively, which had little company. Six Pacers players scored 10 or more points: Obi Toppin (20), Andrew Nembhard (17), Pascal Siakam (16), Tyrese Haliburton (14), TJ McConnell (12) and Aaron Nesmith (10).
Topin became the first top scorer of a match that could close some NBA finals. Nembhard did not only brought himself into the defensive role and was again decisive in attack with his triples. Siakam, the best Pacers player in the series, did everything, as always. Haliburton, despite the injury to the right leg, played with determination. Nesmith, solidarity on both sides of the court. And McConnell, pure energy.
With the offensive contribution of TJ, Indiana Pacers is the first team in the NBA history with 8 players with 200 or more points each in some playoffs. To the sextet of prominent game we must add to Myles Turner and Benedict Mathurin to complete the octet of coral basketball.
Indiana took care of the ball: he had no losses in the first quarter, just 2 in the second and ended with 10. And distributed it: he totaled 23 assists.
On the contrary, Oklahoma City did: 21 losses (maximum brand of the team in the campaign) and 14 assists.
The Pacers not only attacked well, but also defended even better. They limited the Thunder’s offensive, controlled everyone despite the fact that Shai and Jalen Williams managed to score with individual actions. Oklahoma City, with 91 points, had its lowest score of the entire season.
TJ McConnell, the Pacers engine
As in each meeting of these finals, and in so many others of the season, McConnell contributed a sensational energy.
The base accelerated the rhythm, fought every ball and lifted his teammates and the public, who recognized the delivery with an ovation.
McConnell is the second substitute in history with at least 10 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 robberies in the NBA finals. The other? Robert Horry, when he was champion with San Antonio Spurs in 2005. Neither of them will be remembered as stars of these pangs or those Spurs. For Carlisle now, for Popovich then, essential.
Oklahoma City Thunder and a wasted chance
The performance of the best team of the season was for oblivion. Unraveled in attack and without its classic ferocity in defense. To the negative balance between assists and losses he added his lack of reaction to retreat: Indiana exceeded him 28-11 in transition points.
Another negative aspect was the poor performance of Gilgeous-Alexander, beyond that it was the top scorer: he lost 8 balls (record in his career and the finals in the last 40 years) and just 7 converted field shots (for the first time in the season he had more losses than successes of court).
“Nobody wants to miss the opportunity to sentence a series just to define at home,” Oberto said. The Thunder did not want it to happen, but could not help it.
The NBA finals were not 7 games since 2016, when Cleveland Cavaliers recovered from a 1-3 to get the first title in its history.
“Believe,” said another poster at the top of the stadium.
“You don’t have to leave the door open,” Oberto recommended, a voice authorized by experience. Oklahoma City Thunder could not close it and will have the pressure to define Sunday at home.
“Seventh game. The two most beautiful words of basketball,” Ernesto Jeréz invited. What better than in some NBA finals? The door is open. Pass, it will be spectacular.
