Hard truths.
Despite the loss of their leader, the Pacers managed to take a 48-47 lead into halftime, inspired by Eastern Conference Finals MVP Pascal Siakam and a gritty defensive performance.
All in all, it was a game to forget for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who went into Thursday’s Game 6 needing one more win to bring home the Larry O’Brien trophy.
This time, the Thunder's energy rose in the third quarter as they took a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals as their reward.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, found a way to fight through eventually in the fourth as desperation basketball saw them beat a thorough Pacers defensive setup that has been elite this campaign.
The one big advantage that the Indiana Pacers have over them, though, is a title-winning coach in Rick Carlisle.
"You can't just throw the first punch," Gilgeous-Alexander said after Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the visiting Indiana Pacers on Sunday night. "You've got to throw all the punches all night, he quipped.
Tyrese Haliburton scored with 0.3 seconds left for Indiana's first and only lead of the game, and the Pacers, the last-minute comeback kings of these playoffs, did it again to beat the Thunder 111-110 in Game 1...
The Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Indiana Pacers as the kings of the Western and Eastern Conferences battle it out in a best-of-seven series to determine who will be the NBA champion.