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Gainbridge Fieldhouse was bustling with fans decked out in gold T-shirts as the Indiana Pacers prepared to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Pacers’ final home game in the NBA Finals.
But away from downtown Indianapolis, hundreds of fans gathered to watch—and celebrate—the Pacers’ pivotal win, forcing a Game 7.
Carmel’s Midtown Plaza was packed with fans as the city showed the game on a 15-foot-tall screen. Fans took up nearly every inch of the plaza’s grass, and restaurants surrounding the area overflowed with patrons.
“It’s pretty special that we have a place like this that everyone can come together and celebrate the win,” Carmel resident Kevin Hutt said.
Fans erupted with each point the Pacers scored, high-fiving one another, jumping up and down, and pumping their fists in the air. With every buzzer-beater, their roars filled the air.
Energy was high, and fans were eager for their team to secure the win.
Russell Walker, a 38-year-old Carmel resident, said sports are not his area of expertise, but he’s invested in the Pacers’ playoff run and the energy brought with it.
“It’s really fun to see the excitement take over everyone around here,” Walker said. “You can feel it; you can touch it … it’s a vibe, definitely.”
Spectators kept their eyes were glued to the screen, and the Pacers’ commanding lead—they went into halftime leading 64-42, and extended their lead from there—fueled their exuberance even more.
As the Pacers delivered a decisive victory, forcing a Game 7 in Oklahoma City this weekend, whistles and whoops reverberated through the plaza.
The Pacers’ Finals run is the teams first in more than two decades, and the see-sawing lead has left spectators at the edges of their seats. Going into Game 6, the Pacers were trailing the Thunder 2-3 in the best-of-seven series, and they had their work cut out for them on Thursday after having lost two games in a row, 111-104 and 120-109.
“They make us proud of being Hoosiers,” Carmel resident Karima Lubbadeh said. “It’s something. Because this is their first time (in the Finals) in a long time. This is exactly what I came to enjoy, and they’ve made everyone proud.”
The Pacers will face the Thunder one last time for a shot at securing the Finals trophy at 8 p.m. on Sunday.
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