The match in Indianapolis ended with a score of 91:108 in favour of the Indiana Pacers. Despite the fact that the Oklahoma City Thunder won the fifth game of the NBA Championship Finals series at home with a score of 120-109, this time it was different.
The best team in the main round weakened at the wrong time, paralysed in its fight for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Although statistics speak in favour of the favourites who are allowed to play at home, the last finals were won by outsiders.
The Pacers’ star Tyreese Haliburton, whose participation in the game was in doubt (shortly before it started due to calf problems), unlike in the previous match, turned on the serious speed from the very beginning.
Indiana was shooting well from the three-point line, and the visitors were struggling for a long time. At the break, the team led by the regular season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) Shay Gilles-Alexander was already clearly behind (42:64).
In the second period, Isaiah Gartenstein came off the bench and scored first for his team again – albeit after going more than five minutes without a field goal. It quickly became clear that this was not going to be Oklahoma’s night, as Mark Dyno pulled his starters off the court. Gildes-Alexander was the top scorer with 21 points. Gartenstein scored ten points and grabbed four rebounds.
Obi Toppin was the Pacers’ top scorer with 20 points.
Now the fate of the title will be decided in the last match.
As a reminder, the finalists of the Ukrainian Basketball Championship have been determined.
