Pacers vs Thunder NBA Game 6 Pick: Indiana Looks To Stave Off Elimination (Jun 19)

• The Indiana Pacers look to stay alive after dropping Games 4 and 5.
• Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder are one win away from hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy.
• These squads last played on Jun. 16, with the Thunder emerging victorious 120-109.

Thursday’s NBA slate features the Indiana Pacers hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Can the Pacers extend their season in our Pacers vs Thunder Game 6 pick?

NBA Finals Game 6 Preview

Initially, the Pacers were in the driver’s seat, taking two of the first three games. Since then, they have dropped two straight and find themselves on the brink of elimination following an 11-point loss in Game 5.

Pascal Siakam spearheaded an offense in which six players recorded double-digit scoring totals. Once again, he was solid at both ends of the floor, finishing with 23 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocked shots.

TJ McConnell was a major contributor for Indiana off the bench. He put up 18 points on 8-for-14 shooting. He also tallied four rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Meanwhile, OKC’s offense was a two-man show for the most part. Jalen Williams went off for 40 points on 56 percent shooting overall and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. He also collected eight boards and handed out four assists.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did not have a great shooting night, going 9-for-21 from the field. However, he contributed 31 points along with 10 assists. Aaron Wiggins and Cason Wallace accounted for 25 of the second unit’s 27 points.

The Thunder led 59-45 at intermission. But as Indiana has done during its postseason run, it trimmed the deficit to 95-93 in the fourth quarter. But unlike Game 1, OKC held its own down the stretch and is one win away from being crowned as the kings of the NBA.

Pacers vs Thunder Game 6 Pick

After back-to-back losses, Indiana enters this matchup as a 6.5-point underdog, according to BetOnline. Here are a few trends to consider for both teams ahead of Game 6.

• The Pacers are 15-5 straight-up (SU) in their last 20 home games.
• Indiana is 2-4 against the spread in its previous six outings when playing as the underdog.
• The Thunder are 18-2 overall in their last 20 contests against Eastern Conference opponents.
• OKC is 5-2 ATS in its previous seven matchups against the Pacers.

On the one hand, the Thunder dropped Game 6 against the Denver Nuggets, while the Pacers closed out the Knicks in six games. At the same time, if Tyrese Haliburton is less than 100 percent, extending the series to a seventh game could be difficult.