
The Indiana Pacers dominated the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 in Game 6 to force a Game 7 on Sunday in the NBA Finals. Like every win this series, it was unexpected for the Pacers, but not because the Thunder came into this series as this dominant force that everyone expected them to just completely steamroll Indiana. It was unexpected because heading into Game 6, Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton was a game-time decision as he was dealing with a calf strain suffered in Game 5.
The severity of Haliburton’s calf strain was never revealed, but it was clear the injury bothered him in Game 5 after posting just four points and going 0 for 6 from the field in what was a blowout win for the Thunder. So, entering Game 6 there was valid concern about how effective Haliburton would be, and many thought OKC would be able to closeout the series on the road given his injury. However, Haliburton proved the injury may not be all that severe after putting up 14 points, five assists and two steals. The Pacers delivered their own blowout win, as their lead ballooned to 31 points at one point in the game.
It was a gutsy win by Indiana, and with a winner take all Game 7 on Sunday, Haliburton is making it known that he’s going to play, despite the nagging injury.
“I’m pretty much in the same standpoint I was before Game 6, still a little stiff, a little sore rather,” Haliburton said. “Good thing I only had to play 23 minutes, so been able to get even more treatment and do more things. So, just trying to take care of it the best I can, but I’ll be ready to go for Game 7.”
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Haliburton said before Game 6 that he was aware of the risks that came with playing with a calf strain, saying “I have to understand the risks, ask the right questions. But I’m a competitor. I want to play. I’m going to do everything in my power to play.” He didn’t show any limitations in moving around the floor in that Game 6, and was able to get going offensively, especially from 3-point range where he went 3 of 7 in the game. He did have the calf wrapped up every time he went to the bench, and like Haliburton said, he didn’t have to play a ton of minutes — only seven in the entire second half — because Indiana came out and was the aggressor from the start as it tried to keep the series alive.
Now, though, the Pacers will need Haliburton to do it again in Game 7, because everything is on the line Sunday night. The Thunder will want to come out and make a statement after losing in such dispiriting fashion, and they’ll have the advantage of playing in what will surely be a raucous home crowd at the Paycom Center. Indiana’s won once on the road in this series, but it was in the most unlikely of ways thanks to a Haliburton go-ahead bucket with 0.3 seconds left. Now that Haliburton’s dealing with this calf strain, the Pacers can’t bank on him working up some of that late-game magic again, but as we saw in Game 6, you still can’t count him or Indiana out of this series.
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