The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indy Pacers met in a classic Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The stakes couldn’t have been higher as they careered through the most tense and pivotal moments of the match. The game, hosted at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, was highlighted by a series of clutch moments. Key injuries were a major factor in deciding the winner.
Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers’ star all-NBA guard, was playing with the Achilles injury his father told me about before the game. Despite buzzer-beaters, spellbinding slams, and electric upsets galore, this news put a pall on the Pacers’ run to the finals — starting the series without their top scorer. Haliburton’s absence was felt and left a huge hole in the Pacers’ lineup. They needed to be prepared to adjust on the fly as the rules of the game shifted dramatically.
The first quarter started with familiar signs for the Pacers after falling behind right out of the gate. With 6:58 left in the first quarter, they found themselves at a disadvantage, holding a record of 14-10 against the Thunder. As time was winding down in the close game, Tyrese Haliburton took the opportunity and hit a floater. This would make Oklahoma City’s score 11. After this change in momentum and energy, with everyone in the building feeling it, he came down and made two consecutive three-pointers to put Paola back in front.
Once the second quarter started, it was difficult for the Pacers to keep their heads above water. At 7:14 left in the second quarter, they recorded a score of 32-34 against the Thunder. The players’ efforts were heroic, but the scoreboard showed just how steep that climb was. By halftime, they found themselves at 26-25 against the Thunder with 10:43 left in the second quarter.
The second half showed even more trouble on the horizon for Indiana. By the fourth quarter, with 5:57 remaining, the score stood at 75-90 against them. The Pacers had an uphill battle from there as they tried to overcome the deficit. Even Rick Carlisle, the Pacers head coach, knew what a huge moment this was. He took advantage of every opportunity—like halftime and timeouts—to inspire his team.
“I love pressure. What you learn is that these moments are rare, and trying to duplicate this kind of situation is something that you look to do in everyday life. It’s not easy to do that.” – Rick Carlisle
With just under two minutes remaining in the third period, the Pacers sat on a 66-77 deficit to Oklahoma City. With frustrations mounting, Pascal Siakam took it upon himself. He was the first one to rally his teammates during timeouts, telling them to stay together and stay dangerous.
The fourth quarter featured the SGA (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) takeover for Oklahoma City. He scored a crucial three-pointer from the top of the arc, further extending their lead and signaling a shift in momentum that would be difficult for Indiana to overcome.
As time dwindled down, Carlisle acknowledged that various adjustments could be made for future games but remained focused on addressing current challenges.
“There are more adjustments that can be made, for sure.” – Rick Carlisle
Unfortunately, try as they might, the Pacers were never able to find their rhythm on a focused Thunder team. The scoreboard reflected their struggles as they trailed at 68-84 with 11:05 left in the fourth quarter.