The crowd at Paycom Center erupted when OKC’s starters were announced for Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
The usual hype video played on the scoreboard. And Rumble the Bison stood at halfcourt, waving a massive flag with the team’s logo on it as a spotlight shined down on him.
But the Thunder’s players were nowhere to be seen. They were in Indianapolis, and everyone at the watch party inside Paycom Center couldn’t do anything to prevent OKC from ultimately suffering a 108-91 loss.
That’ll change this weekend. The championship series will be decided by a Game 7 at 7 p.m. CT Sunday, and OKC will host it in front of a crowd that’s sure to give the team a jolt of energy.
“Obviously, it’s a great opportunity,” Thunder forward Chet Holmgren said. “You could ask every team in the NBA. Every team would take this opportunity to take this chance. We’re no different. It’s on us to go out there and make the most of it.”
Pre-order commemorative book on Thunder’s run to NBA Finals
What are OKC Thunder stats home vs. road in NBA Playoffs?
That term “homecourt advantage” is an understatement for OKC. It’s 10-2 at home this postseason compared to 5-5 on the road, and a look at the stats will show why that’s the case.
OKC boasts a net rating of 20.7 at home, which ranks first among the 16 playoff teams. But that plummeted to a net rating of minus-6.2 on the road, which ranks ninth, marking a 26.9-point swing.
Memphis is the only team with a bigger dropoff, and that’s because it had to play OKC inside the punishing Paycom Center during the first round.
The traditional stats are even wilder. OKC is averaging more points (plus-14.7), rebounds (plus-3.5), assists (plus-6.2), steals (plus-2.7) and blocks (plus-2.5) per game at home.
OKC is also shooting better from the field (plus-3.9%), from deep (plus-7.6%) and from the free-throw line (plus-5.3%). It’s even averaging less turnovers (minus-2.7).
That last stat played a key role in OKC’s Game 6 loss. It committed 21 turnovers compared to Indiana’s 11.
It’s only the third time all postseason that the Thunder has lost the turnover battle. All three of those instances occurred on the road, where mistakes can snowball for an OKC team that doesn’t face a ton of harsh winter weather back home.
“(The ball) just got sticky, I feel like,” Jalen Williams said of OKC’s Game 6 turnovers. “When you’re constantly taking the ball out and you’re playing against a set defense over and over again, that’s part of it. Other part, we didn’t do a good job trusting each other to make the next play like we did in Game 5.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stats at Paycom Center in NBA Playoffs
OKC should be able to trust plenty of its players in Game 7. The top nine guys in the Thunder’s rotation are all averaging more points at home this postseason on better shooting from the field.
That includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s averaging 31.8 points on 48.9% shooting from the field inside Paycom Center. The league’s Most Valuable Player has scored at least 30 points in every home game this series.
“I don’t feel like I have to do anything other than just be the best version of myself,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I think that goes for everyone else in the room. We just have to bring what we’ve brought to the table all year. Bring our best come Sunday.”
Expect the Pacers to do the same.
While OKC has played significantly better at home this postseason, Indiana has also fared well on the road. It’s 7-4 in that department, giving it more wins than any other team in this year’s playoffs.
The Pacers also stole Game 1 of the Finals inside Paycom Center and nearly pulled off another miraculous comeback in a Game 5 road loss. They trimmed an 18-point deficit to just two points during the fourth quarter.
“They’re going to go into Game 7 confident, and so are we,” Williams said.
Justin Martinez covers sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @JTheSportsDude. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.