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

[metalinguss]

Thunder looked to have refocused. None of them are smiling.

[Mk0]

I don't see the SGA pushoffs people keep talking about, or at least they're nothing close to guys like Tatum. SGA is very crafty and doesn't really extend much with his arm, I don't think he's affecting the defender when he does it. Tatum will literally get his whole arm into a guy and shove him.

I have harped on this for YEARS. Tatum's push off always got/gets called because he goes a full 90 degrees with the chicken wing. If you keep it lower they let you get away with it. That is entirely how the "Alpha Wing" era came to be. LeBron, Kawhi, PG, KD, etc.. all those guys were flinging elbows but kept it from being so egregious that their strength/leverage would clear out more than enough space to get off a layup/pull up.

[MoneyTalks41890]

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.

I haven't followed the thread closely (not easy to follow both the game and the thread) but my guess is that the ones complaining aren't Pacers fans. We aren't numerous in here and we don't tend to complain either.

Oh it’s definitely not the Pacers fans. You all have been great.

It’s Shai’s fan club.

[HadAnEffectHere]

OKC is a much better team but Indiana has been blessed by Satan so it's tough to handicap this series.

[bisme37]

Great win congrats Thunder fans!

[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.

I haven't followed the thread closely (not easy to follow both the game and the thread) but my guess is that the ones complaining aren't Pacers fans. We aren't numerous in here and we don't tend to complain either.

Definitely. It's like the same 4-5 people and they've done it every OKC series. Pacers fans have been great.

[Tim_Hardawayy]

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.

Yeah the 2012 Thunder were inexperienced but they had a better record than Miami and were favorites for a lot of people going into that series. The talent level of that team was absurd, 3 future MVP's, Serge Ibaka, Derek Fisher, Sefalosha for defense... they were stacked.

I thought OKC was going to win. They just beat an excellent San Antonio team four straight while Miami went life and death with an older Boston team. OKC's talent level seemed off the charts at the time. And as you said that assessment holds up. In retrospect, I probably overrated em and undervalued Miami but I still feel they gave a bad account of themselves.

Honestly that was their only real bad series from 2010-16. They either had injuries or lost very close series. But in 2012 they played poorly and I'm not trying to take credit away from Miami.

I don't know if they played that poorly, I think a lot of people remember Miami winning 4 straight and absolutely destroying them in the closeout game and forget how close a series it was. Besides the last game, every other one went down to the wire, just a lot of mistakes from Harden and Westbrook that cost them, and KD being a guy who was automatic but couldn't really create or do all the other things that a LeBron does, which meant if you could deny him the ball he was only serving as a decoy on some possessions.

[metalinguss]

OKC is a much better team but Indiana has been blessed by Satan so it's tough to handicap this series.

The Pacers are the Monstars. Nembhard can turn into Curry, Nesmith can turn into Klay, Turner can turn into Anthony Davis

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

1-1

Whoever wins game 3 will take this series, IMO.

IF Indiana goes up 2-1 at home, I think they'll also win game 4 for a 3-1 lead.

IF OKC wins to go up 2-1. I can't see Indiana winning 3 of the last 4,

[Coach Carter]

Should've been 2-0 but Choklehoma made an appearance in game 1.

[___Rand___]

I just hope Pacers don't come out game 3 being slightly nervous or tight like they did against Knicks. Because OKC won't be and will get on top of them quick.

[bluemj32]

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

Sent from my Pixel 6 using RealGM mobile app

If he had the athleticism I think he'd be the guy to take over the MJ/LeBron etc mantle. I don't buy that his personality is the main reason, I think they can make anyone work, and I don't think being Canadian really matters, its purely because he doesn't have highlight dunks.

Yeah flashy sells.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using RealGM mobile app

[cjx]

King Siakam saving the 30+ point masterclass for game 3, Fam

[NiceLikeChrist]

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.

I haven't followed the thread closely (not easy to follow both the game and the thread) but my guess is that the ones complaining aren't Pacers fans. We aren't numerous in here and we don't tend to complain either.

You would be correct. It’s quite literally anyone who isn’t an OKC fan. Any neutral fan can plainly see how overly biased the officiating is in OKC’s favor. Has been the entire year and all playoffs.

It might be season long reparations for having them lose the mavericks series last year with that garbage 3 pt foul. Hopefully it isn’t like this next season.

[Marvin Martian]

OKC played better than IND for two games straight.

Tyrese has to demonstrate he can score at will against playoff defenses.

That "true pg" crap isn't going to work when your team is getting it's head kicked in with no resistance.

If the others in OKC chips in on Offense, there's no hope.

OKC is just better. Late game heroics don't mean crap other than you was getting your ass kicked for 47 minutes.

Neither is being a scoring guard. IND got this far because Haliburton never let his ego get in the way of a win.

[Nuntius]

Good game, Thunder fans. OKC's defense was once again amazing in the first half and didn't allow us to play our game. We picked it up a bit in the second half but we were unable to get any stops to close in the gap so OKC managed to keep a big lead and ended up winning comfortably.

I will say it again but Aaron Wiggins was incredible tonight and swung the game in OKC's favour. OKC's role players brought it tonight and it shows on the amount of assists that they had. 13 in game 1, 25 in game 2. Isolations won't bring you great results against Indiana. But team ball definitely will. Of course, you do need your role players to hit their shots for team ball to work and guys like Wiggins and Caruso did that tonight for OKC.

So, they do deserve credit for a key performance.

[bluemj32]

I don't see the SGA pushoffs people keep talking about, or at least they're nothing close to guys like Tatum. SGA is very crafty and doesn't really extend much with his arm, I don't think he's affecting the defender when he does it. Tatum will literally get his whole arm into a guy and shove him.

People just find reasons to hate. Every year it's a different guy. Every finals someone gets dissected.

Bron
Curry
Jokic
Luka
Tatum
SGA

Whoever next year is in the finals the same will happen. People love to complain

Sent from my Pixel 6 using RealGM mobile app

[MrPainfulTruth]

Or you don't know basketball. I've played and coached. One team is allowed to be more physical than the other. That's all.

I love this retort, like you have a monopoly on basketball knowledge that no one else on a basketball forum has

I am not comparing basketball knowledge. I would assume most on RealGM have basketball knowledge. Fouls are fouls. Call them them the same. Simple concept of basketball. The next time Lu Dort throws himself to the floor trying to go over a screen, I am going to hit you up and see what your thoughts are.

I have found it pretty useless ot try to engage in an actual basketball discussions with the two OKC "fans" that are most present here. They are basically just trolling, denying everything the rest of the world sees, adn calling everyone a hater. Save your breath - and rest assured everyone else sees the same. I expect this title to be on the asterisk level of Wade, and the bubble. Neither will be forgotten over time, and neither will get the same love and respect as something honestly earned.

[threethehardway]

You would be correct. It’s quite literally anyone who isn’t an OKC fan. Any neutral fan can plainly see how overly biased the officiating is in OKC’s favor. Has been the entire year and all playoffs.

It might be season long reparations for having them lose the mavericks series last year with that garbage 3 pt foul. Hopefully it isn’t like this next season.

It's really not. OKC plays a scrappy brand of defense using smaller players.

Refs aren't gonna call everything, especially not on 6'4 guys digging on 6'9 guys.

[fanofthegreats]

Most one sided officiating of all time