Games 4, 5, and 6 of the series showed that this series can go anywhere. The Thunder won Games 4 and 5 by a comfortable margin. The score does not reflect the effort Indiana put forth in the 4th quarter of those games to make it close against the Thunder. Pascal Siakam put up an incredible statline, putting up 20+ points in each game to give them a chance, along with TJ McConnell’s spark off the bench, getting steals and buckets. Tyrese Haliburton was able to post up a near triple-double to lead the Pacers to a domination in game six over the Thunder, blasting a lead of 30 points. This was the momentum they needed going into Game 7. Indiana, with nothing to lose as the 4th seed, defied all odds throughout these playoffs. Beating Giannis and the Bucks, to swiftly taking down the 1-seed Cavs, to defeating a powerhouse Knicks team, to pushing the best team in the league to Game 7 in the Finals. As I had said in the last article, it all comes down to who wants it more. All cards will be thrown on the table in Game 7, and let's see what both of these sides have to play for their first ring in franchise history.

Heading to Indiana for Games 3 and 4, the series is tied at two games apiece. The Thunder are still the heavily favored team, so Indiana has nothing to lose. Going into Game 3, OKC came out from the jump with Chet and Jalen Williams scoring 11 points in total in the first few minutes. The Pacers had put all their energy into starting by heavily covering Shai, causing him to be scoreless until the start of the 2nd quarter. On the offensive end, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner were getting it done to start with quick layups and midranges off the mismatch. The X factor in this game, however, was Benedict Mathurin, providing 27 points off the bench to provide a spark for Indiana’s offense when the starters were seated. Haliburton was playing incredible on both sides of the ball, as he was one rebound short of a triple-double. The Pacers' offense was firing on all cylinders and needed the win in Game 3 to shift the momentum to them in the series, but will they be able to keep up this level of play going on in the series?

Spain and Portugal faced off for the 41st time in the UEFA Nations League Final. A highly anticipated matchup just a year before the 2026 World Cup starring Spain’s young talent in Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, with Portugal’s formidable Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruben Diás. The game started with a tap-in by Zubimendi in the 21st minute, shifting momentum to the Spanish side. Nuno Mendes would quickly respond with a ferocious strike to the bottom right corner after slipping past the defenders, which gave the Portuguese a slight edge heading toward halftime. Oyarzabal would react with a great ball from Pedri to sneak it in the bottom corner in the 45th minute. Going into the second half, Portugal dominated on both sides of the ball. Spain was getting little to no chances, and they could not keep possession for long. Portugal was hungry for this win as Cristiano Ronaldo, proving that he’s still got the clutch gene, sticks his leg out to get a shot past Simon for the game-tying goal. For the remaining time in regulation, there were good link-up plays and plenty of buildup, but no prime opportunity to score a game winner. This energy stayed the same throughout extra time, resulting in a penalty shootout. Portugal showed that they were capable of high-pressure situations as they were able to convert all five penalties, and Costa was able to save Spain’s 4th conversion by Alvaro Morata. 

After suffering a buzzer-beater from Haliburton with 0.3 seconds left on the clock in game 1 to get Indiana over the hump, Mark Deagneault’s side won by a comfortable margin to take game 2 led by a heroic effort from Shai Gilgeous Alexander. Game 2 proved to be exactly like Game 1 regarding the Thunder offense, as they led the Pacers for the entire 48 minutes. Alongside Gilgeous-Alexander’s 34 points, Alex Caruso’s strong presence off the bench was felt as he provided 20 points and two turnovers, highlighting how significant OKC’s depth continues to be deep in the playoffs. Tyrese Haliburton scored 17 points with 6 assists, but had 5 out of Indiana’s 15 total turnovers. In terms of point scoring, double digits were achieved by Indiana’s starting 5.