Pacers vs. Thunder: Tyrese Haliburton, Toppin Star in Game 6 Blowout to Force NBA Finals Decider in Oklahoma City

Akash Vaishnav

Last updated: June 20, 2025

2 min read

The Pacers vs. Thunder NBA Finals series is going the distance after a dominant Game 6 performance by Indiana at home

Image Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers have stormed back to keep their NBA Finals hopes alive in a high-stakes, full-throttle showdown. Pacers vs. Thunder is going into game 7 courtesy to the Thursday night result. Oklahoma City, who came with confidence into this game faltered.

The Indiana Pacers played quite well from the get-go, taking the game away from their counterparts. Indiana edged ahead early, taking the opening quarter 28-25 as the tone for the night was set.

Indiana throttled OKC 36-17 in the second quarter, leaving stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scrambling for answers. The Pacers entered Game 6 with an urgency, eager to rebound after their NBA Game 5 collapse.

Pascal Siakam locked in for Game 6 👀 pic.twitter.com/C32bk4p0h9
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 20, 2025

The Pacers had a contribution from all their starters, while the same couldn’t be said about the Thunder. The OKC Thunder struggled to get their foot into the offense, while the defensive performance of the Pacers was quite remarkable.

Haliburton and Co. Too Strong, Too Soon

In the second half, the Pacers vs. Thunder game saw no thrilling turns, as the fixture progressed how it did in the first half. The home side kept making some consistent buckets, while the Oklahoma City side trailed and the lead kept growing.

After outscoring OKC 26-18 in the third, the Indiana Pacers had the luxury to rest starters and let the bench close it out. This is what happened as the Pacers entered the fourth quarter with a cautious approach. OKC Thunder smelt an opportunity to close the massive deficit.

The Thunder outdid the Pacers in the fourth quarter by 31-18, however, even that wasn’t enough as the home side won the NBA Finals game 6 by 108-91. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remained the top scorer of the match, scoring 21 points. Tyrese Haliburton contributed 14 points.

SIAKAM JUST EXPLODED ALL OVER OKC 🤯 pic.twitter.com/kmjfICnzWN
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) June 20, 2025

Obi Toppin gave 20 points to his side, followed by Andrew Nembhard’s 17. The Indiana Pacers will now head to Paycom Center for Game 7, with the NBA title hanging in the balance.

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Akash Vaishnav

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I cover NBA at the Playoffs. I specialize in covering breaking news, Previews, in in-depth analysis (breaking down numbers, complex stats, nuances of the game, and converting them into reader-friendly content). Furthermore, I got into the sports media while looking for an entry into the media industry. I love International Relations, and since entry without majoring in the subject was difficult, I got into sports. Now, while majoring in International Relations on one side, I also like covering sports as part of the journey as a young Journalist.