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Thunder hits level of futility not seen as Pacers dominate Game 6
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- Thunder hits level of futility not seen as Pacers dominate Game 6
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The post Thunder hits level of futility not seen as Pacers dominate Game 6 appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a chance to seal a historic NBA championship by defeating the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 on Thursday. Instead, the Pacers did something they have shown a constant ability to do this season: flip the script. Their 91-108 win over OKC came despite none of their starters scoring more than 17 points; Obi Toppin top-scored for them with 20.
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And while the Pacers finished the game with six double-digit scorers, the Thunder showed a level of offensive futility that has not been seen the entire season. After three quarters, they had scored a grand total of 60 points, their lowest tally of the season through regular and postseason games , per the ABC broadcast.
However, that's not all. The championship hopefuls also went nearly seven minutes without scoring a single point, the longest point drought recorded in an NBA Finals game in the last 20 years, according to Automatic on X. The Thunder scored their last point of the second quarter with 1:46 remaining on the clock, and only managed to get on the scorecard again at the 6:57 mark in the third.
OKC also produced its lowest points tally of the season, undercutting the 92 points they scored in a 5-point victory over the Denver Nuggets in February. Led by Obi Toppin's 20 points and Andrew Nembhard 's 17, Indiana took control after a slow start and never looked back.
Pascal Siakam contributed 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Tyrese Haliburton , playing through a strained calf, added 14. Oklahoma City 's offense completely collapsed after a promising 10-2 start, as they were outscored 68-32. At one point, Thunder trailed by 31 points, their second-largest deficit of the season after the 45-point gap they registered earlier against the Timberwolves .
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the top scorer in the game with 21, while Jalen Williams got 16. However, the rest of the Thunder failed to get going the entire game, as coach Mark Daigneault pulled his starters after the deficit rose to 30 in the fourth.
Now, the Thunder must regroup quickly as they will attempt to land the championship in Game 7 at their home arena. Home teams are 15-4 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. However, the Cleveland Cavaliers won the last Game 7 in an NBA Finals on the Golden State Warriors ' home floor in 2016.
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