Thunder most to blame for loss to Pacers in NBA Finals Game 6
The post Thunder most to blame for loss to Pacers in NBA Finals Game 6 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
The Oklahoma City Thunder entered Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Thursday, hoping to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy as NBA Champions. Not only did they not win the game, but the Thunder were soundly beaten in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, 108-91. Even that final score is not truly indicative of how one-sided the game was.
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The Pacers led by between 20 and 30 points throughout the entire second half. It was not until starters were pulled late in the fourth quarter that the Thunder made the score look respectable.
Early on, things were going Oklahoma City's way. They jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead, with the defense swarming. But that changed quickly as the Pacers began moving the ball. That also coincided with the Thunder turning the ball over time and again. But we'll get to that.
For the purposes of this article, we are going to visit the three Thunder players most to blame for the Game 6 blowout loss.
Thunder Most to Blame for NBA Finals Game 6 Loss
Chet Holmgren
The first culprit for OKC is their big man, Chet Holmgren. He flat-out played terribly in Game 6, racking up 24 of the most meaningless minutes you will ever see from someone his size.
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In the first quarter, Holmgren was consistently fed the ball in the paint. The 7-foot-1 center was consistently made a fool of down low by smaller defenders from the Pacers. He finished the game with four points on 2-for-9 from the floor. He turned the ball over twice, missed all three shots from beyond the arc, and looked lost at times.
Through six NBA Finals games, the Thunder big man is shooting 35 percent from the field and 12 percent from downtown.
Basketball fans have rarely ever seen his combination of size, athleticism, and shooting. But once again, it was made painfully clear that until Holmgren can put on some muscle (and therefore weight), he will never live up to his potential.
Alex Caruso
I put Alex Caruso on this list for two reasons: He was an unmitigated disaster on both ends, and he represents a poor effort from the Thunder bench.
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If you just look at the box score, you might think Oklahoma City's bench came to play Thursday night. Nothing could be further from the truth. Almost all of their scoring came when the game was out of hand in the final stanza.
Caruso, particularly though, woof. He played 22 minutes, finished with zero points, and had a plus/minus of -33. Only Jalen Williams' -40 was worse. The clock clearly struck midnight on this pumpkin. The Thunder's Game 4 hero was abused defensively seemingly every time down the court.
It wasn't even Pacers starters doing it to him, either. But hey, in the NBA Playoffs, the bench typically doesn't show up on the road. That brings us to the biggest problem on Thursday night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Oklahoma City's best player led the team in scoring with 21 points. They weren't even terribly inefficient either, sinking 7-for-15. Yet, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be the first to tell you he did not play well.
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During the regular season, he shot better than 37 percent from three, attempting more than five per game. But that number has dropped drastically, and he only attempted one in Game 6, missing it.
He also tied a playoff career-high with eight turnovers. That also tied an NBA Finals Game 6 record, per Stat Muse.
Several times, he found himself in no man's land. Instead of passing out of double teams, SGA tried forcing it. He also had his pocket picked by Andrew Nembhard a few times. The Pacers thrived on Thursday night off of turnovers, turning 21 of them into 19 points.
Indiana loves to run, and turning the ball over sets the stage for that to happen.
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Knowing bench and role players do not typically win road playoff games, it is incumbent upon the team's stars to bring it. Gilgeous-Alexander did not do that.
Now, the second youngest finals team in NBA history will host a Game 7 for all of the marbles.
Related: Thunder fans call fake news on Tyrese Haliburton injury
Related: Thunder's NBA Finals vs. Pacers eerily similar to Nuggets series
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