Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder set to clash in Game 7 for NBA supremacy
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams said the thought of a Game 7 in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals 'makes the hair on your arm stand up a little bit.'
Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle called it 'a time to celebrate.'
On June 22 (June 23, Singapore time), the Thunder and Pacers will square off in Oklahoma City in a decisive game to end a back-and-forth series.
The Thunder are looking for their first title since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008. The franchise won the 1979 title in Seattle.
Indiana are looking for their first NBA championship, though the Pacers won three American Basketball Association titles, the most recent of which came in 1973.
This will be the 20th NBA Finals Game 7 in league history and the first since the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors on the road in 2016.
'As you go on in your competitive life in sports, what you learn is that these moments are rare and trying to duplicate this kind of situation is something that you look to do in everyday life,' said Carlisle, who coached the Dallas Mavericks to the 2011 title.
'It's not easy to do that. I'm very much looking forward to Game 7.'
Home teams are 15-4 in the previous matchups.
'You've got to be able to weather the storm with those momentum-swinging plays, try to create momentum-stopping plays when you're on the road,' Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton said.
The Pacers enter with momentum after the 108-91 win in Game 6 in Indianapolis on June 19.
Haliburton was a big reason for that, with 14 points and five assists after a calf strain left him as a game-time decision.
Haliburton said he remained stiff and sore but said he was ready to go for Game 7 after playing just 23 minutes in Game 6.
Oklahoma City have yet to lose back-to-back games in the play-offs after dropping consecutive games just twice during the regular season.
The Thunder are 10-2 at home during the play-offs and have yet to lose the turnover battle at home.
In Game 6, Indiana forced 21 turnovers while committing just 11.
'The truth is that nothing else previous to this matters at all now,' Carlisle said. 'We're just down to one game and one opportunity.'
Oklahoma City superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's Most Valuable Player, had a career-play-off-worst eight turnovers in Game 6.
'No matter how big the moment or the game, it always comes back to the same things,' he said. 'The things that we know we can control every night. When we do those things, we look like a pretty good team.
'When we don't do those things, we look like a bad team.'
For the Thunder, it will be their second Game 7 in these play-offs.
Oklahoma City beat the Denver Nuggets 125-93 at home May 18 to win their second-round series.
While Williams said there are lessons to be taken from that game, particularly in handling the emotional swings, he also acknowledges the difference.
'You're anxious going into it,' he said. 'Honestly, it's a little indescribable because I haven't (played in a Finals Game 7). It's hard to give a good answer because this Game 7 is going to be completely different from the last one.'
While the Pacers have not played a Game 7 yet this post-season, they did beat the New York Knicks in Game 7 of last season's Eastern Conference semi-finals. REUTERS
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