The Pacers forced a Game Seven on Thursday night vs. the OKC Thunder in the NBA Finals. There hasn’t been a game seven since 2016, and the Pacers are in the finals for the first time since 2000, so let’s take a look at how they got here.
The Indiana Pacers entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and for the second year in a row, were set to play against the Milwaukee Bucks. Unlike the season prior, the Pacers were the favorite coming into the series. Indiana got off to a fast start beating the Bucks in each of the first two games being lifted by two very strong games by Pascal Siakam. The Pacers would find themselves up 3-1 in the series, a position they would find themselves in multiple times throughout the playoffs. The Bucks wouldn’t go away without a fight as they forced overtime in game five but would meet their end after Tyreese Haliburton put the Pacers on top in the last seconds of that game.
After dominating in round one, Indiana would have a much tougher opponent waiting for them in round two. The Pacers faced off against the Cleveland Cavaliers who won 64 games en route to claiming the first seed in the conference. Indiana would head into the series as heavy underdogs but made their mark early, winning game one on the road. Game two however, would leave Cleveland completely shocked. With under 50 seconds left in the game the Pacers were down a seemingly insurmountable seven points, but they battled their way back and took the lead on a Tyreese Haliburton three pointer with just over a second to go. The Pacers, up two games to none, were looking to take complete control of the series as it went to Indiana. The two teams traded blow out wins in games three and four, giving the Pacers another 3-1 lead. Despite a 35 point performance from Cavaliers star Donavan Mitchell, the Pacers would close out the series with a game five win, completing a huge upset to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second year in a row.
In the conference finals the Pacers were set to go against the New York Knicks, a rematch from the second round of the 2024 playoffs. A season ago the Pacers defeated the Knicks in seven games but not without controversy. Many people say the only reason Indiana won that series was because the Knicks had multiple key injuries making this series all the more exciting. Game one of the series was an instant classic that involved even more heroics from Tyreese Haliburton, who hit a crucial shot at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. Following a thrilling, back and forth overtime, the Pacers came out on top after Jalen Brunson of the Knicks missed a game tying three pointer with less than ten seconds left. Game two was another great game and the score was tied through three quarters. Led by a stellar 39 point game from Pascal Siakam the Pacers were able to hold off the Knicks in the final moments, grabbing a huge two nothing lead in the series. The series traveled to Indiana with the Pacers trying to take an overwhelming 3-0 lead. In game 3, the Pacers took a commanding twenty point lead late in the first half and the Knicks chances for a comeback, not only in the game but the series, looked bleak. Something had to change for the Knicks, and it did. Powered by a very strong fourth quarter, where they outscored the Pacers by 16 points, New York found a way back and won game 3. Tyreese Haliburton in game 5 was unbelievable, putting up an absurd 32 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists he led the Pacers to a 130-121 win. With that win the Pacers, once again, lead the series three games to one. For the first time in three tries the Pacers were not able to close out the series in the fifth game with the Knicks blowing them out to keep the series alive. Game six was a different story, the Pacers were in front the whole game and pulled away in the second half to win by 17 and win the series and advance to the NBA finals.
A tough matchup against the heavily favored Oklahoma City Thunder awaited the Pacers in the finals. The Pacers were a top ten offensive team in the league this year but the Thunder, who had the best defense throughout the season, were considered a much more complete team.
What has made the thrilling back and forth (Pacers, Thunder, Pacers, Thunder, Thunder, Pacers) in these NBA finals even more impressive is the benches for both teams have really forced this game seven. According to nba.com, “Alex Caruso didn’t score 20 points all season but has a pair of them in this series. Obi Toppin has a 20-point game and a pair of 17s. Bennedict Mathurin had the game of his life — 27 points in just 22 Game 3 minutes. T.J. McConnell disrupted the series and the Thunder when, out of nowhere, he began stealing inbounds passes and dropping mid-range jumpers. Each game seems to bring a different energy source from someone. What’s remarkable is how these players don’t seem frozen by the situation. When given the time and responsibility, most have responded. ‘That’s the thing about the NBA and the playoffs you is never know when your number is going to be called,’ said Haliburton. ‘We have so many guys that are prepared for that moment.'”
Haliburton was injured in the first quarter of Game five on Monday, and played for a limited, and very effective, 23 minutes in Game six earning 14 points for the Pacers. He is assumned to play tonight in Game seven, and the Pacers will need him tonight on the court if they have any chance of winning it all.
The Pacers are once again the underdogs tonight in Game seven at the Thunder’s home court in Oklahoma City at 8pm. Both teams will be looking to capture their first championship in franchise history, so either way it is a historic series as this is being called one of the best NBA Finals in recent memory.