Thunder-Pacers Game 6 takeaways: Tyrese Haliburton displays grit for Indiana

With the 2025 NBA championship hanging in the balance, the Indiana Pacers fed off their raucous home crowd and leaned on their leaders – both expected and unexpected – to stay alive. Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse was do-or-die, and the Pacers played like it, overwhelming the Oklahoma City Thunder with energy, physicality, and shot-making to force a winner-take-all Game 7 back in OKC.

Here are four major takeaways from a gritty win by the Pacers:

Haliburton hero ball gutting through an injury inspires Indiana

Coming into the game, Tyrese Haliburton was officially listed as questionable with a strained left calf – a type of injury that typically sidelines players for multiple weeks. But with the season on the line, the All-Star guard suited up and gave Indiana everything he had.

Haliburton scored 14 points, including three big three-pointers, and played with visible pain at times. Still, his toughness and poise on the floor were invaluable. More than the numbers, it was his presence that galvanized the Pacers. He steadied the offense, spaced the floor, and refused to back down, embodying the grit Indiana has played with all postseason.

Thunder go cold from deep

For Oklahoma City, the formula for success this postseason has often hinged on knocking down threes and letting their defense flow from there. In Game 6, however, the shots simply weren’t falling. The Thunder shot just 8-of-30 from long range (26.7%), while the Pacers drilled 15-of-42 (35.7%), accounting for a 21-point differential.

Open looks didn’t fall. Even wide-open attempts from reliable shooters clanked off the rim. Whether it was the pressure of the moment, the intensity of Indiana’s defense, or just a cold shooting night, the Thunder looked out of rhythm for much of the game. This wasn’t the composed, sharp-shooting OKC team that had taken a 3-2 series lead.

Gainbridge Fieldhouse brought the noise

The Pacers entered Game 6 needing more than just strategy – they needed a spark –  and their fans answered the call. Gainbridge Fieldhouse was deafening from tip-off, and that energy seemed to transfer directly onto the court. Indiana raced out to an early lead, pushed the pace, and fed off the crowd’s emotion to build a margin as wide as 30 points.

Every dunk, every hustle play, and every steal sent the crowd into a frenzy. For a team with so many young pieces and first-time Finals participants, that emotional boost may have made all the difference in staving off elimination.

TJ McConnell, Indiana legend in the making

Few players in this series have made a bigger impact off the bench than TJ McConnell. Once again, the veteran point guard was everywhere – scoring 12 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, dishing out 6 assists, and swiping 4 steals. He set the tone defensively with his pressure, dictated tempo when Haliburton rested, and sparked multiple runs with his relentless hustle.

McConnell has carved out a cult-hero status in Indiana, and Game 6 only added to that legend. His impact was felt in all phases of the game, often providing the intangible boost the box score can’t fully capture. He was the emotional engine.

Looking ahead: Winner-Take-All Game 7 on Sunday night

Now, it all comes down to Game 7.

The series shifts back to Oklahoma City, where the Thunder have been dominant all postseason. But Indiana has momentum, belief, and Haliburton still in uniform for the game despite his injury. It’s been a wild, back-and-forth series, and it feels only right that it’ll be decided in one final showdown for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.