The Pacers' path to Game 7

Four steps to beating the Thunder

After scoring 40 points in Game 5 to put the Thunder up 3-2 in the NBA Finals, Jalen Williams is in the running for Finals MVP. MATTHEW STOCKMAN/GETTY IMAGES

Before Game 5, I spoke to players from both the Thunder and the Pacers. Everyone agreed: neither team had played a great game yet.

The Thunder fixed that, and have gone up 3-2 after trailing twice in the early series. They could win the title in Game 6 on Thursday.

It’s not a ballet, nor a Broadway show. It wasn’t pretty. OKC almost blew a 19-point lead. There are always people in the way to muck things up with stellar defense and effort. Both teams work relentlessly to beat each other's brains in (which I mean mostly figuratively).

They weathered a scintillating quarter from TJ McConnell and a brilliant all-around game from Pascal Siakam, to put the game away halfway through the fourth quarter. They took 12 more shots than the visitors, thanks to eleven fewer turnovers, and made 14 of their 32 3-point attempts, a far better performance than in their Game 4 win (when they made just 3-16 from 3). After being outscored in four consecutive quarters beginning the fourth quarter of Game 3 through the third of Game 4 (Indy won those quarters by 21 points), the Thunder have taken four of the last five quarters by a whopping 31 points (and lost that one quarter by six points).

The tide has turned. OKC has found a way to attack the Pacers’ defense, and a second star to utilize like a sledgehammer.

Meanwhile, Tyrese Haliburton was badly losing his battle with Lu Dort even before his right leg injury, leaving Siakam as the Pacers’ only offensive star.

So here we are, with the Thunder one win away from becoming the second youngest title team in NBA history.

But: closeout games are often tricky. And this Pacers team has proved to be a mighty tough team to finish off.

Can the Pacers force Game 7?

Here’s what it would take.