2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (Series tied 1-1)

[SportsGuru08]

Thunder got this one. Pacers need to find a way to play a complete game.

[MoneyTalks41890]

Hell of a pass by TJ to put that ball where Hali was going to be

[Marvin Martian]

JDub has to be better on offense. A TO and another brick from 3

[Zeno]

Thunder gonna be the 2001 Lakers. Lose game 1 and then win the next 4. Haliburton's game 1 shot is his AI stepping over Ty Lue moment for the runner-ups.

I don’t know, this game has actually made me feel like OKC is definitely losing at least 1 in Indy.

[Chuck Everett]

Mathurin is just playing terrible. I don't get it. He's doing nothing out there - tentative offensively, barely bending his knees defensively and just committing obvious reach in fouls.

Jarace Walker wasn't playing in these first two games, so if you get bad Mathurin, you kind of have to ride with it.

[MoneyTalks41890]

Thunder gonna be the 2001 Lakers. Lose game 1 and then win the next 4. Haliburton's game 1 shot is his AI stepping over Ty Lue moment for the runner-ups.

Also what happened when OKC played the Heat in 2012

[xBulletproof]

This is about what I expected. OKC knows if they lose today, it's damn near over. So they showed up. Not shocking. The Pacers did specific things and they adjusted well to them, also expected.

Haliburton has to get going sooner, he has to recognize earlier when he needs to just .... go. He adjusts well game to game, but in game he takes too long. He *can* force it and go, but it's just not how he wants to play.

You got 1 in OKC, so that's enough. Make adjustments, protect home court, and you're good.

[jbsays]

Anyone complaining about calls here isn’t a serious person

I always feel better when it happens though. When the losers start complaining about officiating, it means OKC is dominating.

You get used to it. Funny story, people who weren't around might not remember but Wade didn't get that much ref complaining even during the 2006 Finals. It was after the fact, first with Bill Simmons starting to question it, and then Kobe fans going on a crusade to crush him (because finally a player had a clear argument over Kobe, and he had an incredibly rabid fanbase online at that time) when it became a thing.

The 2006 Finals had only a bit of ref complaining (most of it was that final call at end of game 5). But the next season, every game thread was full of Kobe fans giving live updates on Wade free throw attempts in regular season games, it was incredibly obnoxious. I'm not sure why SGA got the hate earlier, but if I had to guess its because of Harden taking free throw merchant to a new level, and SGA isn't near as bad as James but he scarred a lot of people.

Wade was so aggressive and attacking. There was no way of stopping him without fouling him. The refs called it, but if a guy gets hit on the arm when shooting it's a foul. He wasn't shooting fadeaways or doing a lot of pump faking from 3 and jumping in to guys. If you were defense at the time not even sure why you'd try to challenge his 3. If he was taking 3s he was bailing defense out and he didn't take a lot.

[Nuntius]

Mathurin is just playing terrible. I don't get it. He's doing nothing out there - tentative offensively, barely bending his knees defensively and just committing obvious reach in fouls.

Jarace Walker wasn't playing in these first two games, so if you get bad Mathurin, you kind of have to ride with it.

I haven't heard anything about Jarace Walker's injury but given how bad the ankle looked in real time, I doubt we see him again this season.

[sp6r=underrated]

Thunder gonna be the 2001 Lakers. Lose game 1 and then win the next 4. Haliburton's game 1 shot is his AI stepping over Ty Lue moment for the runner-ups.

Also what happened when OKC played the Heat in 2012

Nah that one was a bit different. I'm not going to argue OKC was better but they just gave a bad account of themselves in the finals. Philly/Indy is much closer to the underdog pulling off a win before the inevitable defeat.

[___Rand___]

Thunder are too consistent. These 20 point games are boring.

[fanofthegreats]

Haven’t seen this level of favorable officiating in a long time

[Tim_Hardawayy]

I always feel better when it happens though. When the losers start complaining about officiating, it means OKC is dominating.

You get used to it. Funny story, people who weren't around might not remember but Wade didn't get that much ref complaining even during the 2006 Finals. It was after the fact, first with Bill Simmons starting to question it, and then Kobe fans going on a crusade to crush him (because finally a player had a clear argument over Kobe, and he had an incredibly rabid fanbase online at that time) when it became a thing.

The 2006 Finals had only a bit of ref complaining (most of it was that final call at end of game 5). But the next season, every game thread was full of Kobe fans giving live updates on Wade free throw attempts in regular season games, it was incredibly obnoxious. I'm not sure why SGA got the hate earlier, but if I had to guess its because of Harden taking free throw merchant to a new level, and SGA isn't near as bad as James but he scarred a lot of people.

Wade was so aggressive and attacking. There was no way of stopping him without fouling him. The refs called it, but if a guy gets hit on the arm when shooting it's a foul. He wasn't shooting fadeaways or doing a lot of pump faking from 3 and jumping in to guys. If you were defense at the time not even sure why you'd try to challenge his 3. If he was taking 3s he was bailing defense out and he didn't take a lot.

Actually that postseason was odd because he was taking, and making, 3's at like 40% after shooting almost none the regular season. I think if he never gets hurt the next year and doesn't come back bulked up (probably PED's but it is what it is), he develops his 3 more and becomes a better shooter. His shooting form improved every year, but after coming back from injury he looked a bit too stiff (too much muscle).

[RB34]

Touched by the wind. Foul.

[JujitsuFlip]

If Mathurin isn't injuring the opposing team, he's useless.

[xBulletproof]

Also, I'd like to add ..... WTF is Mathurin guarding SGA for?

It needs to be Nesmith, Nembhard or Sheppard. That's it.

[scrabbarista]

I stopped watching at 4:00 left. Too painful.

[Patches Perry]

Anyone complaining about calls here isn’t a serious person

I always feel better when it happens though. When the losers start complaining about officiating, it means OKC is dominating.

OKC fans complain at the same rate as other fanbases. This is an NBA problem.

It is, NBA fans are fickle. They need an external force excuse and officials are the easy scapegoat.

[bluemj32]

SGA is too smooth literally plays at his own pace. Looks like he's in a league by himself offensively

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[NiceLikeChrist]

That’s such a weak call. Only SGA gets that garbage