The Indiana Pacers return home for Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night trying to stave off elimination while not understanding exactly what they'll have the ability to get out of star point player Tyrese Haliburton.

Battling a calf strain, Haliburton is expected to attempt to bet the Oklahoma City Thunder, who hold a 3-2 series lead.

Haliburton's unsure status is a considerable wrinkle for chances and props ahead of Game 6.

ODDS & TRENDS

The Thunder were a consensus 6.0-point favorite since mid-day Thursday. However, the spread was sitting at 5.5 at books including FanDuel, Caesars, DraftKings and BetMGM, where Oklahoma City has been backed by 58 percent of the spread-line bets and 61 percent of the money.

The line had actually moved from 6.5 to 6.0 points at BetRivers, where the Thunder have actually drawn 83 percent of the spread-line cash while the total bets have been nearly even. The book reported taking a $57,660 wager on Oklahoma City at -6.5.

The 219.5 total points line has actually seen the Over draw 69 percent of both the total bets and money.

KEY STATS

Indiana has won 8 successive home games following a loss, while Oklahoma City has actually stopped working to cover the spread in its past six roadway video games following a win.

The home group has won the very first half in each of the Pacers' previous 13 video games, according to BetRivers.

-- T.J. McConnell Over 10.5 Points (-107 at BetRivers): This has actually understandably drawn the highest portion of prop money at the book with the unpredictable status of Haliburton. McConnell is balancing 11.2 points through the first 5 video games, although 18 of them video game in Monday's Game 5 loss in which the Pacers fell back huge midway through the fourth quarter.

-- Pascal Siakam 20+ Points (-120 at DraftKings): Another market impacted by Haliburton's injury, this has actually been the most popular play at DraftKings. Siakam is coming off a substantial Game 5 in which he poured in 28 points. However, that's the only game in the series in which he has actually topped 21.

THE NEWS

As Oklahoma City turned a 2-1 series deficit to a 3-2 benefit, Haliburton has actually struggled from the field, hitting simply 7 of 21 shots from the field over the past 2 games, including a 1-for-11 clip from 3-point range. He has amounted to simply 22 points in 70 minutes.

"You don't underestimate great gamers. In the event that he plays, we're expecting his best punch," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault stated. "You do not underestimate fantastic groups. In the occasion he doesn't play, we're anticipating Indiana's best."

Heroes of the series emerged from almost every sector of the rotation.

Haliburton's near-triple-double in Game 3 was underscored by Indiana's 49 bench points, 27 from Bennedict Mathurin and five takes from McConnell. Andrew Nembhard shifted to point guard in Haliburton's location in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2015, when the Pacers got rid of a 3-2 series deficit to beat the Knicks in Games 6 and 7.

"I believe undoubtedly Tyrese is a big part of what we do. Whether he plays or not, I believe it's going to be a group thing," Siakam said. "We have to together all step up. The importance of the video game, we just all need to take an action forward. It's going to be down the line.

"I do not believe any among us must feel like one individual is going to need to do it," the Indiana forward continued. "It's going to be collective."

Siakam put up 28 points and stepped up in the 4th quarter of Game 5 without Haliburton. More of the very same is in order if the Pacers wish to stay up to date with OKC's 1-2 punch.

NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a combined 66 points in Games 4 and 5 for the Thunder. But the national spotlight has actually been shown Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams, who tallied 67 points over the very same period, consisting of a 40-point outburst in Game 5 with the Pacers setting a defense figured out to assist and force the ball out of SGA's hands.

"It makes me sound like a jerk," Williams said of not addressing his phone the previous week to keep the concentrate on winning a title. "A huge thing for us-- we have actually done a really good job of focusing on us."

Gilgeous-Alexander said being "on the cusp of winning is not winning, and the method I see it, winning is all that matters."

He credited the organization for developing the culture and environment to make the Thunder a marvel of a turn-around story.

Gilgeous-Alexander said he's buoyed at this point in the season by the closeness of the locker space and how much enjoyable the whole group is having.

"Focusing on Game 6," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Concentrating on simply being the best version of myself for this basketball group for whatever it takes-- nevertheless many video games it is, nevertheless lots of possessions are required, nevertheless many moments. Remain in the minute, and simply try to stick to that script."

Oklahoma City led 3-2 in the Western Conference semifinals and lost Game 6 to Denver before a remarkable effort to take Game 7. Williams said Oklahoma City didn't "come out prepared to play" in that Game 6.

Carlisle said the Pacers are leaning on the experience of trailing the Knicks 3-2 last summer season, when Gainbridge Fieldhouse became an energy-feeding advantage for Game 6.

"Buckle down, stand strong," Carlisle said of his message to the group.

But with SGA and Williams both averaging 30 or more points the last three video games, Oklahoma City expects nothing less than success on Thursday.

"The majority of the fantastic gamers are art. They're amazingly distinct," Daigneault stated. "That's every excellent gamer. Siakam resembles that. Haliburton resembles that. They are among one. All the great gamers are. ... They're great players, however they do it inside the group (principle) and don't suffocate the group."

Daigneault isn't yet talking specifically about the spoils at stake Thursday night.

"We have actually tried to take a stack state of mind to whatever we've done. Even when the group was restoring. You can't avoid steps in the process," Daigneault said. "We want to win the game tomorrow.

"But the most important thing we can do is prepare today, prepare tomorrow. Play the very first belongings actually well. And after that the next belongings. Win today. The minute you start to drift psychologically into the future and into the past, it impacts your capability to stack the next thing."

THEY SAID IT

--"We're always trying to put ourselves in our opponent's shoes. Zero and zero frame of mind. We're not presenting any brand-new concepts right now, we're just depending on the psychological habits we have actually built with time."-- Thunder coach Mark Daigneault of Oklahoma City's focus with a 3-2 lead.

--"I believe it depends on who you ask. I have to understand the risks, ask the ideal concerns."-- Haliburton stated of how he'll decide to play. "But I'm a rival. I wish to play. I'm going to do everything in my power to play."-- Haliburton on his playing status Thursday. He scored 22 points and was one rebound shy of a triple-double in Indiana's Game 3 victory on June 11.

PREDICTION

This has the sensation of a potential Thunder rout as the Pacers have actually fought tooth-and-nail to reach this point but are now facing Game 6 with a limited Haliburton at best.-- Thunder 120, Pacers 110