Oklahoma City, Indiana pag-aagawan ang titulo

Sa Game 7 ng NBA Finals

OKLAHOMA CITY — Nagsimula sa 30 teams, karamihan ay kumpiyansa sa kanilang tsansa nang mag bukas ang season walong buwan, 1,320 games at 35,543 three-pointers at 299,608 points na ang nakakaraan.

Dalawang koponan lamang ang natira para sa isang laro. Game 7.

Magwawakas ang NBA season ngayon sa pag dayo ng Indiana Pa­cers dito para labanan ang Thunder sa pinakahuling pag­kakataon kung saan ang mananalo ang kukuha sa inaasam na Larry O’Brien Trophy na dating inangkin ng Boston Celtics.

Ito ang unang ‘winner-take-all’ game sa NBA Fi­nals sa­­pul noong 2016 nang ta­lunin ng Cleveland Cavaliers ni LeBron James ang Golden State Warriors ni Ste­phen Curry.

“I’m very much loo­king forward to Game 7,” wika ni Indiana coach Rick Car­lisle. “The last time we’ve had one of these in the finals, I think, was ’16. These are special moments certainly for both teams but for our league, for the game, for the worldwide interest in the game. It’s a time to celebrate.”

Tama, ngunit isang tropa lamang magdiriwang matapos ang Game 7.

Para sa Pacers, ito ang ma­aaring maging una ni­lang NBA title na nag­si­mula sa pagtatala ng 10-15 record sa unang 25 games sa season.

Para sa Thunder, ito rin ang puwede nilang maging unang NBA title matapos magkampeon ang Seattle SuperSonics noong 1979 bagama’t lumipat ang prangkisa sa Oklahoma Ci­ty.

Ngunit hindi ito kinikilala ng Thunder.

“We have to understand the work is done and we have to trust the work,” wi­ka ni Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault. “The muscle is built. We have to flex that muscle. That’s what tomorrow will come down to for us.”

Ang duwelo ng Oklahoma City at Indiana ay naging isang back-and-forth series.

Kinuha ng Pacers ang 1-0 at 2-1 leads, habang dumalawa ang Thunder para sa 3-2 bentahe, ngunit na bugbog sa Game 6.

“Grateful for the opportunity,” ani Oklahoma City guard Jalen Williams.

“That’s one thing I can say is throughout the whole entire thing, you always have to remain grateful for where you are because there’s a lot of NBA pla­yers that will trade their spot with me right now. That’s how I look at it. But as far as history, I want to be on the good side of that, for sure,” dagdag nito.

Ikinunsiderang isang championship contender ang Thunder sa kabuuan ng season matapos magtala ng 68-14 record sa regular season para maging best team.

At ngayon ay may pagkakataon silang makamit ang korona.