2025 NBA Finals Game 6 Observations

Game 6 of the NBA Finals is in the books, and the Indiana Pacers won 108-91.  I want to emphasize that this was a total blowout, and the only reason it was a 17-point game was because OKC easily outscored Indiana in garbage time.  Oklahoma City was absolutely horrible, Indiana was amazing, Tyrese Haliburton looked healthy, James Johnson got ejected after finally getting into a game (poor James Johnson), and I was so sick of taking notes about halfway through the fourth quarter that I only wrote down things that were major (which was that Johnson got ejected).  These are my observations from the game.

 

 

OKC had such a sloppy game

Throughout the game, OKC had their struggles, but the most notable was how much they turned the ball over.  OKC had 21 turnovers (something notable was that Indiana had 16 steals), but many of these plays were because one player was trying to do too much and struggled in isolation ball (more on that in the next observation).  Indiana played these perfectly and often forced OKC into sloppy plays that were avoidable if they had come in with a better offensive game plan.  From there, Indiana was able to score in transition at a fast pace (more on that in two observations).

 

OKC’s off-ball movement was non-existent

I discussed in my last post that it was slightly unsurprising to see teams not move as much off the ball at this point in the season given that everybody is probably exhausted (and their bodies are likely all broken).  That said, OKC was almost predominantly playing stationary isolation ball throughout the game.  There are two major issues with this.  The first is that they kept making difficult shots for themselves in a game where they struggled to make work offensively.  The second is that it allowed Indiana’s off-ball defenders to get rest, which ties directly into the next observation.

 

Indiana was able to play more like their normal style in this game

While the last few games by Indiana involved them not doing as much full-court defense and fast-paced offense, they were able to do both of these today.  In the last game, I believe a big part of this was due to the lack of a fast pace game was due in part to exhaustion.  This game, OKC’s offense made it easier for Indiana to play in this style because OKC regularly played isolation ball and only had at most 2 players moving at a time.  As such, Indiana was able to have 3 defenders rest on defense.  Usually, Indiana was able to have one of these three players leak out immediately after getting a stop, which was a big part of their success in this style.  Basically, OKC’s offensive incompetence allowed Indiana to have the energy to continue playing this style.

 

Indiana shot the same percentage from the field as OKC in the end, though blew them out

It is worth noting that there was a lot of good for Indiana, especially that they played like their normal style and that Haliburton looked much healthier.  Something interesting though is that Indiana and OKC nearly shot the same percentage from the field (Indiana shot 41.3% from the field and OKC shot 41.9%) despite the blowout.  There were a few reasons this didn’t surprise me.  First, OKC shot very well in the 4^th quarter when the game was decided.  On top of that, Indiana had 18 more attempts due to getting more offensive rebounds and turnovers.  Additionally, Indiana made 7 more 3’s while also shooting better from deep.  Indiana had their inconsistencies from the field and from the free throw line, especially with Myles Turner, Benedict Mathurin, and Aaron Nesmith all struggling from the field compared to usual.  They also didn’t score as well in the half court as they did in transition, which is a big part in why they didn’t score more than they could have.

 

I’m annoyed that OKC doesn’t seem to notice T.J. McConnell out there

Before I get into my gripe, McConnell had another great game, as he pushed the pace when right, made a lot of good plays both on and off the ball, and forced so many steals.  Now to go to my complaint: how does OKC not notice when McConnell is on the court?  My biggest issue is that they don’t notice that McConnell is lurking when the ball is being inbounded (I would tell everyone to pay attention to this anytime he’s out there), as he had more steals around the time of inbounds.  On top of that, when he has the ball, you need to get ready for him to drive.  It’s not that I don’t think they know the scouting report, but I’m not sure how McConnell keeps doing whatever he wants out there.

 

Obi Toppin had another game better than Myles Turner on offense

I previously discussed that Turner was having a difficult series offensively and that Indiana previously tried finishing the game with Toppin instead.  Again, Turner struggled mightily on offense, going just 1-9 from the field for 3 points, though this time he wasn’t doing as much with the screens he has been successful with (it is worth noting that he had another great game defensively).  Toppin has continued to be an amazing backup for them and had another great game, as he had 20 points on 6-12 from the field and 4-7 from deep.  I love Toppin as a fit with the team due to his athleticism and driving ability, which are all enhanced when he is hitting shots.  That said, I would still prefer finishing games with Turner due to his rim protection, something Indiana is without when he’s not on the court.

 

Pascal Siakam will likely be MVP if Indiana wins

Every game, I have made a note of how great of a player Siakam is, especially since I honestly believe we have reached the point where he is an underrated player.  He is so skilled on both ends of the court who is the perfect fit.  In this game, he “only” had 16 points while going 6-14 from the field, but he also had 13 rebounds (including 5 offensive rebounds) and was a steady rebounder yet again.  While several other players with Indiana have been inconsistent, Siakam has consistently been a valuable player in making this series 7 games.

 

Andrew Nembhard had an amazing game

One thing I marveled at during this game was how good of a game Nembhard had.  His impact was much more than his box score numbers.  He finished with 17 points while going 5-7 from the field, though he was so aggressive that I felt like he had 30.  He also had 4 assists on some beautiful passes and had 3 steals.  Overall, he played excellent defense on SGA while making him uncomfortable.  Even though Indiana won easily, I honestly wonder how close the game would have been if he didn’t have this level of game.

 

The broadcast was so bad that I had to put the game on mute

I have previously criticized this broadcast, though I have also given the caveat that I don’t get much out of professional basketball broadcasts because I know the NBA and WNBA so well (other leagues or sports, on the other hand, are needed for me to know what’s going on because I don’t know them as well).  Some of the more notable ones include when they went to a replay while a play was going on, showed a player celebrating and missed a foul, Mike Breen delivering another half-assed “bang” call because he clearly wishes New York was in the Finals, and saying that “Carlisle seems pretty calm” when up by 25.  I listen to an album every day and decided to listen one instead.  Incidentally, I listened to Van Morrison’s album, which was very good and one of his better ones in recent years (especially better than his one a few years ago that I considered the worst album of the year).

 

My dog is not going to be happy about there being a Game 7

For those who don’t know, I have an 85-pound puppy (2 years old) named Roger that we don’t know what breed he is, though he is a mutt (even his DNA test wasn’t sure and identified him as a super mutt).  Roger is a precious boy who loves attention, especially from me.  In most situations, I am excited to give him this attention, so it is a mutually beneficial arrangement.  The issue is that I can’t give him the same level of attention when watching the Finals games because I am taking notes during the game and have my computer out.  During Game 6, he was annoyed that he couldn’t sit on my lap with the computer there and kept bringing toys over to me so we could play while taking the notes (I did the best I could with playing with him, though it’s obviously tougher while working on something).  While the old expression is that Game 7 is the best two words in sports, I would have to guess that Roger would disagree because he would rather snuggle and play with me (while my fiancé, Victoria, is there, he has his preferences about who he wants to be with).

 

 

What did you think of this game?  Let me know in the comments!