Pacers kontra Thunder sa ‘Winner-Take-All’ Game 7

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

At mayroon silang pribi­lehiyo na pamahalaan ang Game 7 ng NBA Finals.

Sumakto naman ang ‘peak’ ng Indiana Pacers tampok ang ilang mala-hi­malang panalo patungo sa NBA Finals.

Sinimulan ng Indiana ang kanilang best-of-seven championship series sa pa­nalo sa Oklahoma City.

At walang dahilan para hindi ito muling mangyari.

“I think we just have done a great job of just sta­ying together,” sabi ni Pa­cers guard Tyrese Halibur­ton. “There’s not a group of guys I’d rather go to war with. I’m really excited to com­pete with these guys in a Game 7, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Isyu pa rin kay Haliburton ang kanyang strained right calf, ngunit naglaro siya sa kanilang panalo sa Game 6 para puwersahin ang Thunder sa Game 7.

“I’m pretty much in the same standpoint I was be­fore Game 6,” ani Halibur­ton. “A little sore. Good thing I only had to play like 23 mi­nutes. I’ve been able to get even more treatment and do more things. Just trying to take care of it the best I can. But I’ll be ready to go for Game 7.”

Puntirya ng Indiana ang kanilang kauna-unahang NBA championship.

Ito rin ang hangad ng Ok­lahoma City na nilipatan ng Seattle SuperSonics na nagkampeon noong 1979.

Ang dalawang sunod na panalo ng Thunder ang nagbigay sa kanila ng 3-2 abante sa serye, ngunit tinalo ng Pacers sa Game 6 para makatabla sa 3-3.

“We obviously have to get better offensively,” sabi ni Oklahoma City guard at NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “Last game, clearly, was not good enough and not going to cut it, and we know that. We watch film for those type of things. You have games like that. Now, it sucks to have it at that stage ob­vious­ly, but we know we have to be better, for sure.”

Ito ang unang ‘winner-take-all’ Game 7 sa NBA Fi­nals sapul noong 2016 nang talunin ni LeBron James at ng Cleveland Ca­valiers si Stephen Curry at ang Golden State Warriors.

“I’m very much looking forward to Game 7,” ani 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.”