Going into Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night, the prevailing belief was that the Indiana Pacers were cooked. Down one game in the series as superstar clutch-god Tyrese Haliburton nursed a calf strain, it just seemed unlikely that the Oklahoma City Thunder—who entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the West and with the best record in the league—wouldn't finish the job. But these are the Pacers. And we all should have known better.
Despite the odds stacked against them and an ailing Hali, Indiana yet again rallied for a decisive 108-91 win at home, forcing a Game 7 in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2016. In the end, Obi Toppin dropped the team-leading 20 points, though Andrew Nembhard (17), Pascal Siakam (16), T.J. McConnell (12) and even Haliburton (14) shone in the box score, as well.
