The Pacers lost two consecutive games to lose Tianwang Mountain, and G6 will be a life-and-death battle!

In the finals of the King of Kings, the Pacers lost to the Thunder 109-120 away, and the total score was rewritten to 2-3, and they lost the match point after two consecutive losses. In this game, the Pacers core Haliburton suffered a right calf strain. Although he insisted on playing for 34 minutes with an injury, he made 0 of 6 shots in the sports game, scored 4 points with only free throws, and contributed 7 rebounds and 6 assists at the same time, but accompanied by 3 turnovers and 3 fouls, and was completely "invisible" on both ends of the offense and defense. Siakam continued to perform efficiently, scoring 28 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists on 9 of 15 shots. McConnell scored 13 points in the third quarter (18 points in the game), and once led the team to counterattack. However, the team made 22 mistakes (including 6 of which Siakam) directly ruined the opportunity to chase points. The Thunder secured the victory with Jaylen Williams' strong performance of 40 points and 6 rebounds and Alexander's 31 points and 10 assists.

Match progress: The double strangle between injuries and mistakes

The Pacers fell into a passive position at the beginning of the first quarter. Halliburton broke through in the second quarter and injured his right calf. He briefly returned to the locker room for treatment and insisted on his appearance, but his injury severely limited his ability to move. He won the game without any results. He became the first player of the season to lose all shots in a single game since Slater Martin in the 1958 Finals. He was the first player in NBA history to play in a single game of 30 minutes but contributed 0 goals, 0 steals, 0 blocks, and 3 turnovers and 3 fouls at the same time.

Despite the collapse of Halliburton's state, the Pacers still showed resilience. McConnell carried the offense in the third quarter with 6 of 7 shots, leading the team to catch the 18-point difference to 8 points.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Siakam scored 12 points in a row and hit an "unreasonable three-pointer" in the first 8 minutes and 30 seconds of the final game, chasing the score to 93-95. However, at the critical moment, the Pacers made four consecutive mistakes, and the Thunder took the opportunity to score a 21-8 offensive climax. This is completely opposite to the G1 script - at that time, Halliburton ended the game with a fatal blow, but in this game he extinguished his hope of turning over with a mistake.

Haliburton's injury caused the collapse of the Pacers' offensive and defensive system

Haliburton's injury and retreat completely disrupted the Pacers' tactical system. As the team's engine, he averaged 17.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 7 assists per game in this round of series, which is the core of instigating fast breaks and three-point firepower. But in this game, he not only scored the second lowest in his career in his playoffs (also scored 4 points against the Cavaliers G3 in the second round), but he made 1 of 11 three-pointers in the last two games, and his efficiency in breaking through and passing the ball dropped sharply. Coach Carlisle admitted: "He obviously hasn't returned to his best form, but he will never miss the G6." Halliburton's response was even more resolute: "As long as I can still leave, I must play! This is the finals, my lifelong dream."

Siakam and McConnell were unable to save the master

Siakam contributed the team's highest 28 points with a 60% shooting percentage (3 of 6 three-pointers), averaging 21.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in the series, becoming the most stable end point. McConnell scored 18 points as a substitute, including 13 points in the third quarter, almost tearing open the Thunder's defense line with his own strength. However, the two tried to vanish in the face of team mistakes:

The team made 22 mistakes and gave the Thunder 28 points to the fast break (15 points in the first half);

Siakum made a record high in the personal finals;

Nemhard tripped by Dort in the first quarter without getting a whistle, Carlisle protested against taking technical fouls, further intensifying the players' mental imbalance. The last trump card in the desperate situation of G6's battle, the historical data casts a shadow on the Pacers: 74% of the teams that won the Tianwang Mountain finally won the championship, and the probability of winning the championship after the Thunder rose to 90%. But the Pacers still hold two key trump cards:

Unbeaten at home: 10 wins and 2 losses at home this year's playoffs, including 17 points in the G6 defeat to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals;

Refusing to lose streak: The last time this season was 99 days ago (March 11), and has never lost two consecutive games since then.

Carlisle emphasized the need to optimize space utilization and breakthrough passes to reduce "suicide mistakes". Halliburton vowed: "G6 is the ultimate battle! From me, everyone must improve. We will never lack fighting spirit."

Either win or go home

When Indiana returned to the finals after 23 years, it was not only the dream of a championship, but also the expectations of generations of fans in a city. Now, they are forced to the edge of the cliff - the record of 99-day unsuccessful defeat, the belief in unbeaten at home, and the tragic core injury will usher in the ultimate test in G6. As Halliburton said, "Is there anything more ignited than this? I can't wait!" The balance of victory or defeat may be tilted, but the Pacers have no way out: either reborn in the sound of the banker's life hall, or watch the glory of 99 days end at this moment.