Everyone expected the Indiana Pacers to play hard during Game 6 of the NBA Finals, but few thought the Oklahoma City Thunder would perform so poorly.
Speaking on ESPN, Kendrick Perkins didn’t go easy on the Thunder.
“[The Pacers] stood on business yesterday. Let’s keep it real; they punked OKC. Oklahoma was not ready for the moment, the physicality, the intensity that the Indiana Pacers brought last night,” Perkins said.
“Oklahoma was not ready for the moment, the physicality, the intensity that the Indiana Pacers brought last night.”@KendrickPerkins says the Thunder did not match the Pacers’ energy in the Game 6 loss 😓 pic.twitter.com/yYUMeF2Ag5
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 20, 2025
The Pacers were feeling great playing at home in front of their fans.
They were dominant from beginning to end and on both ends of the court, posting plenty of great shots and shutting down the Thunder’s attempts at getting hot.
Tyrese Haliburton was looking good again, despite injury, and was showing his leadership, while others like Obi Toppin, Andrew Nembhard, T.J. McConnell, and more were consistent.
Meanwhile, the Thunder just didn’t compete like they normally do, and now they have to face another game.
The good news for OKC is that they rarely ever lose back-to-back games, so they are the odds-on favorites to win.
Additionally, the series will end in Oklahoma City, so the fans will now be loyal to the Thunder.
Yes, things will be stacked against the Pacers, but that hasn’t stopped them before.
The Thunder are favorites, but this will likely be a very tight, intense, and competitive game.
OKC knows they played poorly in Game 6, and they are ready to get back on track as quickly as possible.
The Pacers are about to walk into the lion’s den, and this will be a Game 7 to remember.
NEXT: Stat Reveals Worrisome NBA Finals Trend For Chet Holmgren
