NBA: Pacers force Game 7 in Finals with heroic win

Rising from the brink of elimination, the Indiana Pacers destroyed the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 on Thursday and forced a seventh and final game of the NBA Finals, which will be played Sunday.

Tyrese Haliburton (14 points) overcame calf issues to guide this heroic win in Indianapolis against the worst version of the Thunder and their leader, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (21 points).

"Backs against the wall, we just responded," Haliburton said after a win that evened the series at 3-3.

"You know, we've got one game," the Pacers' star said. "All cards on the table. It's going to be a lot of fun."

The NBA title will be defined in a Game 7 for the first time since the historic 2016 victory of LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers over Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors.

With that win on the home court of the mighty Warriors, James' team is the only one to come back from 3-1 down in the Finals.

Although they have yet to finish the job, these Pacers have already staged a series of improbable comebacks in these Playoffs.

Thursday's game, the first do-or-die matchup, came with their morale very shaken by the last two consecutive losses and the physical limitations of their leader, so they opted for a risky strategy that worked to perfection.

Their experienced coach, Rick Carlisle, gave the order to bombard the Thunder from the 3-point line, and his players responded by making 15 out of their 42 attempts (35.7%) from distance.

The home side's other mainstay was their stirring defensive effort, fueled by the electric atmosphere at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which short-circuited the Gilgeous-Alexander-led attack.

The Canadian point guard, the season's Most Valuable Player (MVP), committed 8 turnovers, matching his career-high, and dished out just 2 assists.

Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren were held to 16 and 4 points, respectively, and will be forced to react in the decisive game in which the Thunder, undisputed favorites at the beginning of the Finals, will bear all the pressure.

Do or die

The magical night in Indianapolis began to take shape an hour and a half before the game, when Carlisle confirmed that Haliburton would take the court despite a right calf strain.

The All-Star point guard has been the leader of the Pacers' stratospheric Playoff run that, being the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, saw them face formidable rivals such as the Cavaliers and Knicks.

The presence of their leader was the dose of confidence the Pacers needed to pounce on the Thunder under the suffocating atmosphere of Indianapolis.

The home team didn't let their heads drop after missing their first eight shots and finding themselves in an early 8-2 deficit.

Two straight 3-pointers by Andrew Nembhard were the signal Indiana needed to unleash an offensive storm that overwhelmed Oklahoma City's stout defense.

Two more consecutive 3-pointers by Obi Toppin, the Pacers' leading scorer with 20 points, made the stands roar, while on the other side, Gilgeous-Alexander was unable to set the pace of the game.

Blow after blow

Indiana opened up a 13-point lead (48-35), its biggest advantage in the Finals. In the front row, Reggie Miller, the icon of the last Pacers team to reach the Finals, in 2000, was celebrating.

Over the 20-point lead, Haliburton had the luxury of intercepting a pass from Jalen Williams and serving up a flashy assist for Pascal Siakam's ferocious dunk (16 points).

Seconds later, ecstasy broke out in Indianapolis with Siakam's spectacular mid-range shot at the halftime buzzer, which the Pacers went up 64-42.

Although the Thunder had a timid reaction, taking advantage of Haliburton receiving medical attention on the bench, the Pacers did not ease their grip on the game.

Without sitting down for the entire second half, the 18,000 Indianapolis fans saw their rival throw in the towel by pulling their starters at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

With the wind now in their favor, the resilient Pacers are just one step away from their first-ever title.