For starters, they went down by 22 points at most, and yet did not fail to stay on the attack. The Pacers were battling – creating opportunities before eventually cutting the Thunder lead to just 10. As we have seen for most of the season, Indiana is built different. They are capable of showing grit and responding even in near-impossible moments. TJ McConnell was injecting life, and Bennedict Mathurin was aggressive when needed. Indiana has a lot to be very proud of in the campaign. They were defying odds, shocking a lot of fans, and proving they have what it takes to win. At this point, no one can deny Indiana’s status as a budding contender, and they are making their way to those discussions once more with this run. 3. Defense Wins Championships As said many times before and even during the season, Oklahoma City is a historically great team on the defensive end. OKC held the Memphis Grizzlies to 19.6 and the Denver Nuggets at 15.0 fewer points per 100 possessions. It is a promising statline considering they held the Pacers to 108.1 points per 100 possessions – 9.6 points fewer than their first three rounds. In Game 7 alone, the Thunder were feasting on the defense. OKC finished with 14 steals and eight blocks – all while forcing 21 turnovers. They were even dominating on the break with 32 points off turnovers. Nothing has been easy for this squad, but they continue to impress and show that defense remains the formula for a championship.