The Oklahoma City Thunder are just one game away from glory after taking a 3-2 series lead with a win at Paycom Centre to protect their home court.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a double-double of 31 points and 10 assists, while Jalen Williams top-scored with 40 points as Chet Holmgren put on a defensive clinic.
However, it is Tyrese Haliburton’s performance, or the lack of it, which will generate the most discussion as the talisman of the Indiana Pacers finished with 0 FGM, attempting only six shots in total.
Stephen A. Smith acknowledged Haliburton’s struggles after the game but couldn’t understand why his head coach Rick Carlisle ignored his teammate who ‘kept them in the game’.
Haliburton has been the go-to saviour for the Indiana Pacers‘ fairytale run with his clutch shots and leadership coming to the fore.
However, the Thunder’s aggressive defence and running finally have the Pacers on the brink, summed up by Haliburton’s struggles in Game 5.
He couldn’t buy a bucket and he wasn’t influencing the game in other areas either, as he finished with zero blocks or steals.
His +/- was second-worst on the team, behind only Obi Toppin, and yet, he played 34 minutes, many of them at the expense of TJ McConnell who was not used well by Carlisle, as per Stephen A. Smith.
Smith said: “We know Haliburton can do more than he’s done but having said that, Rick Carlise, an exceptional coach, he could have made a different decision.
“The way TJ McConnell was playing, he kept them in this game. When Haliburton is hurt, I’m leaving TJ McConnell in the game. He wasn’t just there being aggressive, assertive, and playing downhill, but he was making shots!
“I’m not taking him out of the game the way he looked, combined with the way Haliburton looked. You got Game 6 back in Indy, I would have left McConnell in the game.”
McConnell played only 22 minutes but managed to finish as the Pacers’ second-highest scorer, getting 18 points on 57% shooting from the field.
Add to that his two steals, four rebounds, and all-around aggressive play, and Carlisle’s decision to limit his minutes to just 22 was questionable.
That decision turned from questionable to borderline indefensible after what the Pacers’ head coach admitted after the game.
He said: “He’s not at 100%. It’s pretty clear. We were concerned at half-time. He insisted on playing. He made a lot of good things happen still. But he’s not at 100%.”
Carlisle said that Haliburton was not 100%, playing through an injury, which makes the call to have him struggle out there for 34 minutes baffling.
It would be somewhat understandable if the Pacers didn’t have an option to replace him but not only did Carlisle have McConnell, that said option also had a hot hand and could be a difference-maker.
The Finals always come down to these small margins and unfortunately for the Pacers, they’ve got this one wrong and could be set for a ruthless end to their fairytale run.
