The second spot in the NBA Finals is still up for grabs but it could be claimed on Saturday, May 31 in a Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis where the Indiana Pacers look to close out the New York Knicks.
The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast on TNT and truTV. Fans looking to watch this NBA game can do so for free by using DirecTV, which offers a free trial or with SlingTV, which doesn’t offer a free trial but has promotional offers available. MAX has plans starting at $9.99 a month, or fans can also bundle your MAX subscription with Disney+ and Hulu for $16.99 a month.
The Pacers lead the series 3-2, but the Knicks are coming off the largest victory for either side, a 111-94 season-extending effort on Thursday.
Both teams have one win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse this series with New York winning Game 3 to get its first win of the series, and Indiana taking Game 4 to move to one win away from its second Finals appearance in team history.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are waiting for the winner of this series. If the Knicks get the win, Game 7 will take place Monday, June 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Who: New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers
When: Saturday, May 31 at 8 p.m. EDT
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis
Betting: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
What is DirecTV?
DirecTV is an internet TV service that offers your favorite entertainment, news and sports channels, as well as local TV stations and regional sports networks. Sign up now and get three free months of premium channels including MAX, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and Starz.
What is SlingTV?
Sling TV offers a variety of live programing ranging from news and sports and starting as low as $20 a month for your first month. Subscribers also get a month of DVR Plus free if they sign up now. Choose from a variety of sports packages without long-term contracts and with easy cancelation.
What is MAX?
MAX is a streaming service that combines the catalogues of HBO and the various channels that make up the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks like CNN, Discovery Channel and TLC. The service is also partnered with Bleacher Report to provide sports coverage for anything covered by Turner Sports such as the NBA on TNT, the NHL on TNT, college basketball games on TNT and TBS and the Unrivaled 3×3 basketball league. You can also bundle your MAX subscription with Disney+ and Hulu.
RELATED CONTENT:
Dominant: The Thunder are putting together numbers never seen before on their way to the NBA Finals
By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer
The manner in which the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched their spot in the NBA Finals seemed fitting.
It was a blowout.
Those have been the story of the Thunder season.
There hasn’t been a team in NBA history with at least 12 wins by 30 points or more in a season — or with four such wins in a single postseason — until now. The Thunder are putting together one of the most dominant years in league history in terms of outscoring opponents. The most recent entry on that list: a 124-94 romp over Minnesota to clinch the Western Conference title, a score that probably could have been a lot worse if the Thunder were so inclined.
“This isn’t our goal,” Thunder guard, NBA MVP and West finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We didn’t start the season like we want to win the West. We want to win the NBA championship. Now we are a step closer to our goal and we’re happy about that. But it’s still four more games to go win, four really hard games to go win and we have to be the best version of ourselves for four nights to reach the ultimate goal.”
A look inside the numbers paints a picture of how dominant this season has been for the Thunder:
They’re winning by 12.5 points per game
The biggest point differential per game in NBA history, including playoffs, was posted by the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks — who outscored teams by 12.6 points per game.
The Thunder are winning by 12.5 per game when counting the regular season and the playoffs (the NBA Cup championship game, by league rule, doesn’t figure into any official stats that are kept).
That’s the second-biggest rate in league history, for now.
They have beaten 28 of the 29 other NBA teams by double figures at least once this season. The only team to avoid that fate against the Thunder was Golden State, which actually outscored Oklahoma City by an average of 4.7 points per game in their head-to-head matchups.
“They embody everything it means to be a team,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “And so, they deserve this. They deserve the opportunity that we have now. I couldn’t be happier for them because they invest so much in their own games, but they also invest so much in each other and in the team. And I just think it’s a really uncommon thing in professional basketball that they’ve built.”
The 30-point wins
There have been 13 games this season involving the Thunder that were decided by 30 points or more. They won 12 of them.
Minnesota absolutely throttled the Thunder in Game 3 of the West finals, winning by 42 points. It was a rare blip for Oklahoma City.
The Thunder have had a win by at least 30 points in every series — a 51-point win over Memphis in Round 1, wins by 43 and 32 points over Denver in Round 2, and now the 30-pointer that eliminated Minnesota in Round 3.
Oklahoma City’s eight 30-point wins in the regular season came against teams that all missed the playoffs; Toronto, Washington, Sacramento, Phoenix, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Utah. But to do it four times in the playoffs speaks to the ability the Thunder have to simply run away from quality opposition.
“They’re a really good team,” Minnesota star Anthony Edwards said. “Everyone here knows it. It’s no surprise to nobody here that this team is pretty good.”
80 wins
Oklahoma City is now at 80 wins this season, including playoffs. It’s the 15th time in NBA history that a team has won 80 in a season.
If the Thunder win the NBA title, they’ll finish with 84 wins — a total that only the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (88), 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (87) and 1996-97 Bulls (84) have reached.
“Happy for the moment, but this isn’t our goal,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “This isn’t the end of the road. … One more series to try to go win.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article
