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Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
For Pacers and Thunder, there's no looking back now. All eyes are only on Game 7 in the NBA Finals
Game 6 of the NBA Finals had been over for only about 10 or 15 minutes, and the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder were turning the page. What happened over the previous couple of hours in Indianapolis had already been deemed irrelevant. The only thing on their minds: Game 7. 'A privilege,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'A great privilege,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. A back-and-forth title matchup–Indiana led 1–0 and 2–1, Oklahoma City led 3–2–will end on Sunday night with an ultimate game, the first winner-take-all contest in the NBA Finals since 2016. It'll be Pacers at Thunder, one team getting the Larry O'Brien Trophy when it is over, the other left to head into the offseason wondering how they let the chance slip away. 'We have one game for everything, for everything we've worked for, and so do they,' Thunder guard and reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'The better team Sunday will win.' History favors the home team in these moments: 15 of the previous 19 Game 7s in the NBA Finals were won by the club playing on its own court. The Thunder played a Game 7 at home earlier in these playoffs and won by 32, blowing out Denver to reach the Western Conference finals. Indiana's most recent Game 7 was at Madison Square Garden in last season's Eastern Conference semifinals; the Pacers blew out New York by 21 in that game. All-time, home teams are 112–38 in Game 7s (excluding the 2–2 record home teams had in the bubble in the 2020 playoffs when everything was played in Lake Buena Vista, Florida). But in recent years, home sweet home has been replaced by road sweet road; visiting teams have won nine of the last 14 Game 7s played since 2021. 'It's exciting, man. It's so, so exciting,' Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. 'As a basketball fan, there's nothing like a Game 7. There's nothing like a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. Dreamed of being in this situation my whole life. So to be here is really exciting. Really exciting for our group. What happened in the past doesn't matter. What happened today doesn't matter. It's all about one game and approaching that the right way.' The fact that Haliburton is playing at all right now is a story in itself. He looked good as new in Game 6 even with a strained right calf, something that he's needed around-the-clock treatment on this week. The Pacers haven't had to coax him into it; Haliburton's own family is offering up constant reminders that he needs to be working on his leg. 'My family has been on me,' Haliburton said. 'If they call me, they are like 'Are you doing treatment right now?' … My family has been holding me accountable.' There's a lot of accountability going on among the Thunder right now as well. A different kind, of course. They were massive favorites going into Game 6–+3000 odds to win the series, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. That means a $100 bet on the Thunder would have returned a whopping $103 or so if they had won the game and clinched the title. A 36–9 run by Indiana turned a one-point lead early in the second quarter into a full-fledged blowout early in the third. And with that, a Thunder team that finished with the best record in the NBA this season now has zero room for error. Win on Sunday and all ends well for Oklahoma City. Lose on Sunday, and they'll go down in history as one of the best regular-season teams that failed to win a title. 'If they had won by one, they would have probably walked out of this game with confidence,' Thunder guard Jalen Williams said of the Pacers before leaving Indy's arena for the final time this season. 'That's what makes them a good team. That's what makes us a good team. … They're going to go into Game 7 confident, and so are we.' The Thunder flew home after the game on Thursday night. The Pacers were flying to Oklahoma City on Friday afternoon. They'll spend some time looking at film, then go through the final practices–which won't be much more than glorified walk-throughs–of the season on Saturday. And then Game 7. For everything. 'I think we played to exhaustion,' Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said after Game 6. 'But we have to do it again on Sunday.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
For Pacers and Thunder, there's no looking back now. All eyes are only on Game 7 in the NBA Finals
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) during the second half during the first half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (Kyle Terada/Pool Photo via AP) Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton hugs NBA hall of fame Reggie Miller, left, after Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, right, stands with teammates during a timeout during the second half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Indiana Pacers, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) attempts a shot against Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) during the second half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (Maddie Meyer/Pool Photo via AP) Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) celebrates with forward James Johnson (16) during the second half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) celebrates with forward James Johnson (16) during the second half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) during the second half during the first half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (Kyle Terada/Pool Photo via AP) Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton hugs NBA hall of fame Reggie Miller, left, after Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, right, stands with teammates during a timeout during the second half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Indiana Pacers, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) attempts a shot against Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) during the second half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (Maddie Meyer/Pool Photo via AP) Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) celebrates with forward James Johnson (16) during the second half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Game 6 of the NBA Finals had been over for only about 10 or 15 minutes, and the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder were turning the page. What happened over the previous couple of hours in Indianapolis had already been deemed irrelevant. The only thing on their minds: Game 7. Advertisement 'A privilege,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'A great privilege,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. A back-and-forth title matchup — Indiana led 1-0 and 2-1, Oklahoma City led 3-2 — will end on Sunday night with an ultimate game, the first winner-take-all contest in the NBA Finals since 2016. It'll be Pacers at Thunder, one team getting the Larry O'Brien Trophy when it is over, the other left to head into the offseason wondering how they let the chance slip away. 'We have one game for everything, for everything we've worked for, and so do they,' Thunder guard and reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'The better team Sunday will win.' Advertisement History favors the home team in these moments: 15 of the previous 19 Game 7s in the NBA Finals were won by the club playing on its own court. The Thunder played a Game 7 at home earlier in these playoffs and won by 32, blowing out Denver to reach the Western Conference finals. Indiana's most recent Game 7 was at Madison Square Garden in last season's Eastern Conference semifinals; the Pacers blew out New York by 21 in that game. All-time, home teams are 112-38 in Game 7s (excluding the 2-2 record 'home' teams had in the bubble in the 2020 playoffs, when everything was played in Lake Buena Vista, Florida). But in recent years, home sweet home has been replaced by road sweet road; visiting teams have won nine of the last 14 Game 7s played since 2021. 'It's exciting, man. It's so, so, exciting,' Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. 'As a basketball fan, there's nothing like a Game 7. There's nothing like a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. Dreamed of being in this situation my whole life. So, to be here is really exciting. Really exciting for our group. What happened in the past doesn't matter. What happened today doesn't matter. It's all about one game and approaching that the right way." Advertisement The fact that Haliburton is playing at all right now is a story in itself. He looked good as new in Game 6 even with a strained right calf, something that he's needed around-the-clock treatment on this week. The Pacers haven't had to coax him into it; Haliburton's own family is offering up constant reminders that he needs to be working on his leg. 'My family has been on me,' Haliburton said. 'If they call me, they are like, 'Are you doing treatment right now?' ... My family has been holding me accountable.' There's a lot of accountability going on among the Thunder right now as well. A different kind, of course. They were massive favorites going into Game 6 — +3000 odds to win the series, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. That means a $100 bet on the Thunder would have returned a whopping $103 or so if they had won the game and clinched the title. A 36-9 run by Indiana turned a one-point lead early in the second quarter into a full-fledged blowout early in the third. And with that, a Thunder team that finished with the best record in the NBA this season now has zero room for error. Advertisement Win on Sunday, and all ends well for Oklahoma City. Lose on Sunday, and they'll go down in history as one of the best regular-season teams that failed to win a title. 'If they had won by one, they would have probably walked out of this game with confidence,' Thunder guard Jalen Williams said of the Pacers before leaving Indy's arena for the final time this season. 'That's what makes them a good team. That's what makes us a good team. ... They're going to go into Game 7 confident, and so are we.' The Thunder flew home after the game on Thursday night. The Pacers were flying to Oklahoma City on Friday afternoon. They'll spend some time looking at film, then go through the final practices — which won't be much more than glorified walk-throughs — of the season on Saturday. And then, Game 7. For everything. 'I think we played to exhaustion,' Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said after Game 6. 'But we have to do it again on Sunday.' ___ AP NBA:
The Independent
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
For Pacers and Thunder, there's no looking back now. All eyes are only on Game 7 in the NBA Finals
Game 6 of the NBA Finals had been over for only about 10 or 15 minutes, and the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder were turning the page. What happened over the previous couple of hours in Indianapolis had already been deemed irrelevant. The only thing on their minds: Game 7. 'A privilege,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'A great privilege,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. A back-and-forth title matchup — Indiana led 1-0 and 2-1, Oklahoma City led 3-2 — will end on Sunday night with an ultimate game, the first winner-take-all contest in the NBA Finals since 2016. It'll be Pacers at Thunder, one team getting the Larry O'Brien Trophy when it is over, the other left to head into the offseason wondering how they let the chance slip away. 'We have one game for everything, for everything we've worked for, and so do they,' Thunder guard and reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'The better team Sunday will win.' History favors the home team in these moments: 15 of the previous 19 Game 7s in the NBA Finals were won by the club playing on its own court. The Thunder played a Game 7 at home earlier in these playoffs and won by 32, blowing out Denver to reach the Western Conference finals. Indiana's most recent Game 7 was at Madison Square Garden in last season's Eastern Conference semifinals; the Pacers blew out New York by 21 in that game. All-time, home teams are 112-38 in Game 7s (excluding the 2-2 record 'home' teams had in the bubble in the 2020 playoffs, when everything was played in Lake Buena Vista, Florida). But in recent years, home sweet home has been replaced by road sweet road; visiting teams have won nine of the last 14 Game 7s played since 2021. 'It's exciting, man. It's so, so, exciting,' Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. 'As a basketball fan, there's nothing like a Game 7. There's nothing like a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. Dreamed of being in this situation my whole life. So, to be here is really exciting. Really exciting for our group. What happened in the past doesn't matter. What happened today doesn't matter. It's all about one game and approaching that the right way." The fact that Haliburton is playing at all right now is a story in itself. He looked good as new in Game 6 even with a strained right calf, something that he's needed around-the-clock treatment on this week. The Pacers haven't had to coax him into it; Haliburton's own family is offering up constant reminders that he needs to be working on his leg. 'My family has been on me,' Haliburton said. 'If they call me, they are like, 'Are you doing treatment right now?' ... My family has been holding me accountable.' There's a lot of accountability going on among the Thunder right now as well. A different kind, of course. They were massive favorites going into Game 6 — +3000 odds to win the series, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. That means a $100 bet on the Thunder would have returned a whopping $103 or so if they had won the game and clinched the title. A 36-9 run by Indiana turned a one-point lead early in the second quarter into a full-fledged blowout early in the third. And with that, a Thunder team that finished with the best record in the NBA this season now has zero room for error. Win on Sunday, and all ends well for Oklahoma City. Lose on Sunday, and they'll go down in history as one of the best regular-season teams that failed to win a title. 'If they had won by one, they would have probably walked out of this game with confidence,' Thunder guard Jalen Williams said of the Pacers before leaving Indy's arena for the final time this season. 'That's what makes them a good team. That's what makes us a good team. ... They're going to go into Game 7 confident, and so are we.' The Thunder flew home after the game on Thursday night. The Pacers were flying to Oklahoma City on Friday afternoon. They'll spend some time looking at film, then go through the final practices — which won't be much more than glorified walk-throughs — of the season on Saturday. And then, Game 7. For everything. 'I think we played to exhaustion,' Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said after Game 6. 'But we have to do it again on Sunday.' ___
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
For Pacers and Thunder, there's no looking back now. All eyes are only on Game 7 in the NBA Finals
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Game 6 of the NBA Finals had been over for only about 10 or 15 minutes, and the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder were turning the page. What happened over the previous couple of hours in Indianapolis had already been deemed irrelevant. The only thing on their minds: Game 7. 'A privilege,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'A great privilege,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. A back-and-forth title matchup — Indiana led 1-0 and 2-1, Oklahoma City led 3-2 — will end on Sunday night with an ultimate game, the first winner-take-all contest in the NBA Finals since 2016. It'll be Pacers at Thunder, one team getting the Larry O'Brien Trophy when it is over, the other left to head into the offseason wondering how they let the chance slip away. 'We have one game for everything, for everything we've worked for, and so do they,' Thunder guard and reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'The better team Sunday will win.' History favors the home team in these moments: 15 of the previous 19 Game 7s in the NBA Finals were won by the club playing on its own court. The Thunder played a Game 7 at home earlier in these playoffs and won by 32, blowing out Denver to reach the Western Conference finals. Indiana's most recent Game 7 was at Madison Square Garden in last season's Eastern Conference semifinals; the Pacers blew out New York by 21 in that game. All-time, home teams are 112-38 in Game 7s (excluding the 2-2 record 'home' teams had in the bubble in the 2020 playoffs, when everything was played in Lake Buena Vista, Florida). But in recent years, home sweet home has been replaced by road sweet road; visiting teams have won nine of the last 14 Game 7s played since 2021. 'It's exciting, man. It's so, so, exciting,' Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. 'As a basketball fan, there's nothing like a Game 7. There's nothing like a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. Dreamed of being in this situation my whole life. So, to be here is really exciting. Really exciting for our group. What happened in the past doesn't matter. What happened today doesn't matter. It's all about one game and approaching that the right way.' The fact that Haliburton is playing at all right now is a story in itself. He looked good as new in Game 6 even with a strained right calf, something that he's needed around-the-clock treatment on this week. The Pacers haven't had to coax him into it; Haliburton's own family is offering up constant reminders that he needs to be working on his leg. 'My family has been on me,' Haliburton said. 'If they call me, they are like, 'Are you doing treatment right now?' ... My family has been holding me accountable.' There's a lot of accountability going on among the Thunder right now as well. A different kind, of course. They were massive favorites going into Game 6 — +3000 odds to win the series, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. That means a $100 bet on the Thunder would have returned a whopping $103 or so if they had won the game and clinched the title. A 36-9 run by Indiana turned a one-point lead early in the second quarter into a full-fledged blowout early in the third. And with that, a Thunder team that finished with the best record in the NBA this season now has zero room for error. Win on Sunday, and all ends well for Oklahoma City. Lose on Sunday, and they'll go down in history as one of the best regular-season teams that failed to win a title. 'If they had won by one, they would have probably walked out of this game with confidence,' Thunder guard Jalen Williams said of the Pacers before leaving Indy's arena for the final time this season. 'That's what makes them a good team. That's what makes us a good team. ... They're going to go into Game 7 confident, and so are we.' The Thunder flew home after the game on Thursday night. The Pacers were flying to Oklahoma City on Friday afternoon. They'll spend some time looking at film, then go through the final practices — which won't be much more than glorified walk-throughs — of the season on Saturday. And then, Game 7. For everything. 'I think we played to exhaustion,' Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said after Game 6. 'But we have to do it again on Sunday.' ___ AP NBA:
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
NBA finals go to game seven for first time since 2016 as Indiana Pacers beat Oklahoma City Thunder
Fuelled by defence, depth and defiance, the Indiana Pacers stormed to a 108-91 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night, levelling the NBA finals at three games apiece and setting up a decisive Game 7 in Oklahoma City. Obi Toppin came off the bench to score 20 points, Andrew Nembhard added 17 points with four assists and Pascal Siakam had 16 points and 13 rebounds as Indiana bounced back from consecutive losses. Tyrese Haliburton, cleared to play only hours before tipoff due to a strained right calf, delivered 14 points, five assists and two steals in 22 high-impact minutes. 'We just wanted to protect our court,' Haliburton said. 'We didn't want to see those guys celebrate a championship on our home floor. Backs against the wall, we just responded. So many different guys chipped in. It was a whole team effort. Really proud of this group.' Indiana missed their first eight shots and quickly fell behind 10-2. But the Pacers flipped the game with a relentless two-way surge that spanned the second and third quarters. They outscored the Thunder 68-32 in that stretch and led by as many as 31 points early in the fourth. It was their first double-digit win of the series and the Thunder's second-largest deficit of the season. READ MORE this angle of Pascal Siakam's poster dunk is incredible. — Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) The Pacers dominated across the box score. They forced 21 turnovers – including eight by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – and turned those into 19 points. They held the Thunder to just 8-for-30 (26.7 per cent) from beyond the arc, outrebounded them 46-41, and led in fast-break points 22-11. TJ McConnell stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals, while Ben Sheppard added five points, five boards and a made three-pointer off the bench. Haliburton, who had finished with four points in Game 5, helped ignite a 30-9 run late in the second quarter with two threes, a steal and an assist to Siakam for a transition dunk. He also buried a deep three late in the first quarter to put Indiana up 24-17, their first real cushion of the night. Siakam followed up his dunk with an 18-foot jumper just before the halftime buzzer, giving Indiana a 64-42 lead. Gilgeous-Alexander, the newly minted Most Valuable Player, finished with a quiet 21 points. Jalen Williams, who erupted for 40 points in Game 5, was held to 16 on Thursday. The Thunder's usual defensive disruptiveness was absent and coach Mark Daigneault pulled his starters at the start of the fourth quarter. Now the series shifts to a winner-take-all Game 7 in Oklahoma City on Sunday night, marking the first time the NBA finals has gone the distance since 2016. Home teams are 15-4 in such games, though the Thunder franchise suffered one of those rare defeats as the Seattle Supersonics in 1978. – Guardian
