Why Stephen A. Smith says Pacers will win Game 6: 'These fans are special. This basketball environment is special'

Indianapolis Star

6 hours ago

Take a seat Pacers fans, get ready for this one, Stephen A. Smith says the NBA Finals are going to a Game 7.
His reasoning? You.
The ESPN personality has drawn plenty of ire from Pacers fans these playoffs, including fans sitting courtside dressed up as characters from "Dumb and Dumber" with Smith and Kendrick Perkins' faces on them, lambasting Smith for playing solitaire on his phone during Game 4 and former Colts punter Pat McAfee calling him out to get the crowd riled up.
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But on Thursday's "First Take," Smith had only glowing things to say about Pacers fans and he feels the atmosphere inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse for tonight's Game 6 will be the difference in pushing the Finals to a Game 7 back in OKC.
'Sitting here in Indianapolis, this is not how I usually flow fellas and Shae (Cornette), but I've got to tell you right now, OKC is an absolutely fabulous basketball environment, we know how electric it is there. Indiana, here, this Gainbridge, this is special. This is a special, special basketball environment. It's made for basketball. I even got to give props to the man Pat McAfee getting on the microphone calling me out for crying out loud, stirring the crowd up. It worked in Game 3. It worked against them in Game 4.
"But this is a basketball environment. They feed off this kind of adversity. They're looking for any little ingredient whatsoever to make sure to galvanize them, give them that adrenaline rush so they can propel them and this is a perfect place for that to happen.
"Game 6 tonight on the brink of elimination, with OKC knowing they've got to security blanket of a Game 7 on their homecourt, Indiana has to play by committee. You've got (Bennedict) Mathurin, you've got (Aaron) Nesmith, you've got (Andrew) Nembhard, you've got T.J. McConnell. They all have to play well. T.J. just got to do what he did the last game. The rest of them have to play better. (Pascal) Siakam continue to do his thing. But if there was ever an environment where they can do it, an atmosphere where they can do it, it's tonight in Game 6 in Indianapolis. That's why I believe even without (Tyrese) Haliburton this has a chance to go Game 7 because these fans are special. This basketball environment is special, and I think with them being on the brink of elimination, that's going to elevate things."