By James Mario Ajero
Two small market teams duking it out for NBA supremacy – a worthy complement to what they call the best two words in sports – ‘Game 7.’
With the OKC Thunder having the opportunity to play in front of their home crowd, the Indiana Pacers seek to subvert expectations once more in a bid to carve a special place in the annals of the NBA playoffs.
Indiana Pacers
Indiana’s series lead-erasing 108-91 victory in Game 6 was as electrifying as it was surprising.
Many had expected the clash at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse to be a ceremonial takeover for OKC as the crowned kings of the NBA; instead, it was a game to remember for the so-called underdogs.
Despite fears of him being unable to play due to a right calf injury, Tyrese Haliburton willed himself to the court to deliver 14 points with five assists and two steals in the Pacers’ balanced yet comprehensive team effort.
Obi Toppin topscored both the Indiana starters and bench players with his 20 markers while Andrew Nembhard chipped in 17 points.
Pascal Siakam, who was bestowed with the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, stashed 16 points and 13 rebounds as the Pacers convincingly beat the Thunder throughout the quarters.
Perhaps fueled by their desire not to disappoint their crowd, the Pacers led by as much as 22 points at halftime before extending it to 31 early in the fourth period.
According to league statistics, teams that had a home court advantage in the last 19 NBA Finals won Game 7 80 percent of the time.
The Pacers, who were thought to be merely guinea pigs for other major championship contenders like the Cleveland Cavaliers or New York Knicks, need to bring something other than effective ball-sharing onto the court to defeat a team that stands to lose more if they fail in Game 7.
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OKC Thunder
While the Pacers making it into the NBA Finals was not on everybody’s bingo cards, the Thunder were easily the heavy favorites to take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy from the get-go.
OKC has the ingredients for an NBA championship recipe: a regular season MVP, the best record (68-14), the youth, and arguably the deepest bench in the league.
Judging by the Thunder’s Game 6 performance, the team has some major corrections to make, starting with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s sloppy play.
In a report by ESPN, SGA tallied eight turnovers.
It’s not only his career-highest in a playoff game but also the most in a Finals game in at least 40 years.
The other player to be blamed for this uncharacteristic loss was Chet Holmgren, who collected a meager four points in 24 minutes of play.
Jalen Williams, meanwhile, seemed not in the mood to play, racking a plus/minus rating of -40.
If the Thunder win, it will confirm an already established belief that the best path to glory is by organically building a team from scratch through wise draft picks and trades.
Hazel Camba 
Shameeka Voyiya 
Newsjustnews writers