Pacers trounce Thunder to force decisive game seven

The Indiana Pacers, rallying around injured star Tyrese Haliburton, crushed the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 to force a decisive game seven in the NBA Finals.

Haliburton, cleared to play with a right calf injury only a couple of hours before tipoff, scored 14 points with five assists and two steals.

Obi Toppin scored 20 points off the bench to lead the Pacers scoring.

Andrew Nembhard added 17 points and Pascal Siakam had 16 points and 13 rebounds as the Pacers, who had lost the last two games to stand on the brink of elimination, leveled the best-of-seven championship series at three games apiece.

Haliburton, who said he’d do everything he could to play after limping through most of game five, showed virtually no sign of his injury as the Pacers grabbed the game by the throat in the second quarter and never let go.

“We just wanted to protect home court,” Haliburton said. “We didn’t want to see these guys celebrate a championship on our home floor.”

“Backs against the wall, we just responded,” he added. “So many different guys chipped in, total team effort. I’m really proud of this group.”

Indiana led by 22 points at halftime and by as many as 31 early in the fourth quarter.

NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 21 points and Jalen Williams added 16.

But the Thunder – winners of a league-best 68 regular-season games – were left searching for answers as the series heads back to Oklahoma City for game seven on Sunday. (AFP)