2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (IND leads 1-0)

[bb22]

Even though OKC is a juggernaut and well deserved favorite, the lack of true championship experience outside of Caruso is a slight concern. Indy has 2 true champions who know how to win as underdogs in coach Carlisle and Pascal. Does Indy surprise us an we see a Pascal FMVP? Whatever happens, I’m happy to watch two new and exciting squads on the biggest stage. We’ve finally evolved into the post-LeBron/Curry/KD era and things looks promising.

[Felixians4]

Thunder in 5 games max. A healthy Celtics and healthy Nuggets were the only teams that were beating the Thunder this year.

Mavs

[lethalizer]

Thunder in 5 games max. A healthy Celtics and healthy Nuggets were the only teams that were beating the Thunder this year.

Mavs

Yeah, really don't think that one was happening.

[Ugly0598]

Thunder in 4.

[lethalizer]

Should be a good and entertaining series. I like quite a few indy posters in this forum who are non toxic unlike some other fanbases, so it should be a breath of fresh air to discuss the games at least.

Hope our defense can stand tall against the free flowing Indy offense.

I'm gonna go with OKC in 6, as I did with every OKC series thus far. Interestingly, not once did this prediction actually hit lol

[Hugi Mancura]

Both teams try to get steals and punish other team from turnovers. So who handles the ball better have an edge.

OKC's opponents have shot open or wide open 3's so far around 32%. Indiana shoots those same shots over 40%. So if OKC keeps giving those shots and Indiana keep shooting like they did against Cavs and now Knicks I do think Indiana have a shot to win this series. OKC's defense is build around protecting the paint and giving open shot for bad shooters. This worked because their opponents had multiple bad shooters. Indiana have none, so curious to see does OKC keep playing same defense.

Indiana is not a strong rebounding team, so does OKC attack offensive rebounds? If they do they probably will get some extra possessions. But if you to attack and don't get the rebound better run to defense.

This series is won by team who takes care of the ball and makes their three's. That is pretty much the mantra of the modern NBA.

[Bloodbather]

The Pacers' style feeds into OKC's turnover-to-transition machine. They can only win games where they go nuclear from 3 early on, imo, like the Wolves in Game 3.

OKC in 5, maybe 6.

[Raps in 4]

Thunder in 5 games max. A healthy Celtics and healthy Nuggets were the only teams that were beating the Thunder this year.

Mavs

Luka was traded to the Lakers in February.

[stoo]

is Carlisle gonna have 2 of the most improbable championship runs ever? we'll see soon

[Mavrelous]

Read on Twitter

[hardenASG13]

Problem for Indiana is they don’t have anyone remotely close to sga.

Yup. Pacers don't even have a top-10 player on their roster. OKC are simply better (by a wide margin), more talented, and deeper + they can run with the Pacers. And they have HCA too. This one won't be close. Nightmare matchup for Indy.

Although Halliburton is making a case for top 10, I won't argue that. But do the Pacers need a top 10 player with how they play? They don't rely on one guy. Even when Halliburton has big games it's kind of within the flow. They don't iso or run the same actions alot. Indy plays team ball and their offense is effective whether Halliburton scores 14 or 30. Shooters everywhere, ball movement, and active drivers with quick attacks. They remind me of the dynasty spurs teams in that regard, minus the defense of course.Thats the best type of offense. I think OKC takes it, but in 6 or 7. The Pacers are much harder to clamp down on than Minnesota for example.

[MMyhre]

I think this is closer than people think. The Pacers have depth, a title winning coach and a title winning player.

Hali vs SGA, I'll call that even. SGA will score more, but Hali will even things out with assists.

Siakam is better than Williams/Chet as the #2 guy.

This basically boils down to can the Pacers offense (ballhandlers) deal with OKC's defensive pressure.

Ur actually crazy for saying SGA and Hali have the same impact. Haliburton goes MIA often, and OKC is the best team to make him go MIA. Haliburton is far behind him in every basic bball ref advanced category, and thats not accounting for SGA sleepwalking in the 1st round, his performances in round 2 and 3 is levels above Hali. I would be very surprised to see Haliburton consistently perform as good as the most consistent player in the league that happens to be the MVP with a better team. But hey, then he is just the GOAT, but nah cant see it.

[Wargreymon]

It's kind of nice to have no LA/GSW/BOS/SA/MIA in the Finals.

[MMyhre]

It's kind of nice to have no LA/GSW/BOS/SA/MIA in the Finals.

I think we are free of them for a while. Lakers and Spurs will be close in 2 years if things go their way, Lakers gets some bigs, Wemby healthy etc. Dont see the rest being there unless Boston makes some trade moves.

[JulesWinnfield]

The Pacers' style feeds into OKC's turnover-to-transition machine. They can only win games where they go nuclear from 3 early on, imo, like the Wolves in Game 3.

OKC in 5, maybe 6.

I like OKC in the series like everyone else. Both with my head and my heart. As a Knick fan, and a 40+ year old Knick fan who remembers the entirety of the 90s, I think Indiana just officially moved into #1 in my franchise hatred power rankings passing Chicago and Miami with no doubt (those 3 were sort of a threesome all about on the same level but Indiana has now taken the clear top spot). This is now the 6th time I’ve seen them knock us out of the playoffs in my lifetime. 4 times where we have had home court advantage

With all that said, one thing Indiana does really well is avoid turnovers. Their turnover rate is very low, 3rd lowest in the league per 100 possessions. They’re gonna have to continue that to bring any intrigue to this series at all. I hope OKC sweeps them. I think Indiana gets one at home. OKC in 5

[Froob]

OKC in five, SGA mvp. Would be a hell of a story if indiana somehow won but I don’t see it.

[garrick]

Pacers have a chance if the refs let the teams play physical defense but if SGA averages 16 or more FTA per game via a favorable whistle the Pacers don't have a chance of winning this one.

[Dadouv47]

big challenge for OKC. My biggest concerns:

1) OKC defensive strategy is to pack the paint and let role players shoot 3's. Indiana is a bit too good from outside to keep it in the same way we did it against Wolves/Nuggets so I wonder if we will make some much needed adjustments and which.

2) Could be a tough series for Chet. He does very well against more traditional big mens but he's gonna play in a fast pace game against more versatile bigs and it can be tough for him.

3) We won a ton of games in the 4th quarter because opponents were just tired after having to play against a good defense like ours but Indiana has depth and young players that could overcome that.

I have OKC as favorite obviously but if I was a betting man I might consider the Pacers on the ML because less than 20% chances is way too low against a still unexperienced team. I hope OKC shows up in game 1 because our only home loss in the POs was against Denver after a week of rest between two series.

[lethalizer]

Pacers have a chance if the refs let the teams play physical defense but if SGA averages 16 or more FTA per game via a favorable whistle the Pacers don't have a chance of winning this one.

The man hasn't even averaged double digit free throws on the way to the NBA finals but here you are talking about him 16(?!) FTA per game.

I get that it's the current trend to hate on Shai, but I wish people at least did it based on facts instead of feelings and/or hyperbole.

[lethalizer]

Pacers have a chance if the refs let the teams play physical defense but if SGA averages 16 or more FTA per game via a favorable whistle the Pacers don't have a chance of winning this one.

The man hasn't even averaged double digit free throws on the way to the NBA finals but here you are talking about him averaging 16(?!) FTA per game in the finals.

I get that it's the current trend to hate on Shai, but I wish people at least did it based on facts instead of feelings and/or hyperbole.