HG08 2025 NBA Finals: 4 Things to Watch in Game 6 of the Finals

Tyres Halliburton's right calf injury left Indiana's ranking undecided before Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

Indianapolis -- Facing elimination, regardless of the outcome, the Indiana Pacers will play their final home game of the season, and they will face one of three situations in Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals:

point guard Tyres Halliburton faltered with a right calf strain, but will return to normal before Thursday’s (8:30 ET, ABC) against the Oklahoma City Thunder, playing normally as the Pacers’ on-field leader and best key player.

Halliburton won’t fully recover, but he will do his best to play as long as possible, and Gainbridge Arena fans want at least an inspiring moment, just as Willis Reed limped onto the court for New York in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals. About an hour before the start of the game, Halliburton was out of the game with injuries and the Pacers had to extend the finals without him—or ultimately not. The Pacers have recorded a record of 60-34 in the absence of Halliburton this season, including the playoffs, and without him, they have a record of 4-5.

The 25-year-old defender suffered a sore ankle after Game 2 and suffered another calf strain in the first quarter of Game 5 on Monday. He played 34 minutes after his comeback, but his performance that night was mediocre: 4 points (all from free throws), 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 turnovers, and 0 of 6 shots. The Pacers finally lost 109-120.

Halliburton appeared on the court after the Pacers' light training on Wednesday, opening up training to the media. He was wearing sweatpants and a light hoodie in his training suit – although his right calf was bandaged, the bandage was not too conspicuous. He doesn't need to jump or spend too much energy to complete the shot.

"He participated in all our training," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. "But it's just a drill, so there's no real run. Let's wait and see. Let's see what's going on tomorrow." The five-year defender said, "I'm a contender; I want to play."

The final answer will have to wait for a while for Halliburton to play in Game 6. Halliburton's performance is crucial in this relegation battle between Indiana and the Thunder for the championship, and this game will be one of the two Thunder's championships.

1. There is a point Harry is better than not

Some people may point out that Halliburton missed the last two games of the Pacers' season due to a groin injury last year and was unable to play Game 3 and Game 4 against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. His backcourt partner Andrew Nemhard replaced him at the time and performed well. The Pacers shot more than the Celtics in both games and had 10 more rebounds than the Celtics.

Of course, Boston also lost and completed the sweep. It's not because Nemhard took over Halliburton's role, but because his substitute didn't do it.替补本·谢泼德被迫上场，在那几场比赛中，他8投1中，总共只得到3分。

Nemhard performed poorly in the second half in the fifth game on Monday, perhaps because he had been marking Thunder MVP Shea Gilgers-Alexander, causing his physical fitness to decline. TJ McConnell used jump shots to help the team offense at least twice in this series, but the Pacers rely more on the energy from his bench.

Of course, if the team's medical and training staff think Halliburton will face a more serious risk of injury when he plays - several NBA stars have been associated with a tear of Achilles tendon in recent seasons - he will not play. If not, he would make a decision and his tendency seemed obvious on Wednesday.

"There are many times in my career that they trusted my physical condition," he said. "They believe that when I take the initiative, I can make the right decision. ... I want to continue playing. That's my plan."

2. McConnell gets more playing time

Even if the Indiana's powerful backup point guard doesn't replace Halliburton, his playing time is likely to exceed 22 minutes of Game 5. This is not just because of the possible staff shortage. Given McConnell's efficient performance on Monday night, he should have played more games.

The 33-year-old scored 18 points on 8-of-14 shots, scoring a +4 on the night Indiana lost 11 points. In Game 2, he played 18 minutes, scoring 11 points and 6 assists, and in Game 3 of the Pacers’ winning third, he played 15 minutes, scoring 10 points, 5 assists and 5 steals.

Considering Halliburton's limited performance after a leg injury in Game 5, McConnell seems to be more suitable for getting more playing time in the final stages of the game. Carlisle said he saw McConnell's fatigue and that the player did not disagree with the coach during Wednesday's game.

"To be honest, I don't remember it at all. I totally trust Rick's substitution arrangement," McConnell said. "Let's summarize our career perfectly as: Rick is a Hall of Fame coach. He knows what he is doing."

3. Pay attention to rebounds and turnovers

The Thunder made 23 turnovers in Game 5, scoring 32 points and leading the Pacers 23 points.

So far, the Thunder's performance in the series has been reflected in the details. The Thunder disrupted the Pacers' rhythm and efficiency by forcing opponents to make mistakes and grab rebounds.

They led the rebound 131-118 in three wins in Oklahoma City and lost 49 points for the turnover, while the Pacers scored 71 points. Indiana's recent problem is that it's slower playing style — Halliburton's right leg is not explosive — and ends with a half-time offense.

At this time, the Thunder's league-leading defense became the most solid and difficult to break.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault talked about the team’s defensive foundations on Wednesday, which he laid after he was promoted to head coach in 2020 and has been strengthening.

“没什么新素材，”他说。 "We're here today, not with a new riff. We're just repeating things that have been repeating for five years."

4. Visitor passes and catches more

Thunders in Game 5 wins, 24 of 40 shots came from assists, but in Gainbridge's two games, 27 of 74 shots came from assists. The Thunder's overall ball transfer in the Finals dropped -- they averaged 216 passes per game, about 25% less than the 68-game regular season win season. Obviously, part of the reason is that the opponents they face are more intense at home.

"We have to play better offensively to win," said Dageno. "They performed great at home. They played very vigorously and put a lot of pressure on their opponents. They had a clear advantage on the field. We look forward to them showing this strength in Game 6."