INDIANOPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers stared down elimination. Instead of crumbling, they answered with their most complete performance of the NBA Finals. In a raucous Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday, the Pacers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 108–91, forcing a decisive Game 7. The Pacers ended a 21-game streak where 111 points served as an arbitrary cutoff mark for victory or defeat.
Pacers End 21-Game 111-Points Streak in Dominant Win
Trailing 3–2 in the series, the Pacers could have folded. Instead, they rose to the occasion—just as they’ve done throughout a postseason full of rallies and resurgences. “We just wanted to protect home court,” said All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton. Playing through a strained right calf, Haliburton posted 14 points in just 23 minutes.
The Thunder entered the night eyeing their first title as a team in Oklahoma. But the celebration was never close. Indiana led by as many as 31. That was the second-largest lead the Thunder allowed all season.
Breaking the 111-Point Spell
Throughout the playoffs, the Pacers lived or died by one number: 111. In 21 straight postseason games, whenever they scored 111 points or more, they won. When they didn’t, they lost.
That trend ended in Game 6. Indiana scored only 108, yet walked away with a blowout win.
This anomaly snapped the team’s 14–0 record when scoring 111 or more. It also ended their 0–7 mark when failing to reach that mark. The Pacers 111 points threshold had become a strange but reliable predictor. On Thursday night, defense flipped the script.
Indiana forced 21 Thunder turnovers. They generated 16 steals. Their deflections set the tone early.
The Game-Breaking Run
Midway through the second quarter, the Thunder trailed by just one point—34–33. But over the next 12 minutes, Indiana stormed ahead with a stunning 36–9 run. By the early third, the score read 70–42.
During that decisive stretch, Oklahoma City shot just 3-for-18 from the floor and committed seven turnovers. The Thunder’s offense unraveled under pressure. They struggled to move the ball and collapsed under Indiana’s aggressive traps.
This was supposed to be the night the Thunder raised the trophy. Instead, it became a clinic in playoff defense.
Statistical Dominance
Indiana won in every key metric. They had 32 transition points—the most by any team in these Finals, according to Synergy Sports.
They also held a massive edge in extra opportunities, grabbing 11 offensive rebounds to Oklahoma City’s 4. Combined with the turnover differential, Indiana finished with 18 more shot attempts than their opponent. It marked the Thunder’s worst discrepancy in that category all season.
All Eyes on Sunday Night
After 82 regular-season games and six Finals matchups, both teams now sit even. The series is tied 3–3. The winner-take-all Game 7 will be played in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder are 2–1 in this series.
But momentum belongs to the Pacers.
The Thunder may have dominated most of the season, finishing with a league-best 68 wins. Still, the Pacers have shown time and again that regular-season stats matter little in June.
The Pacers 111 points trend might be broken. But their belief remains intact. Sunday will reveal whether Indiana’s improbable run ends in triumph—or heartbreak.
© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
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