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

[Woodsanity]

Haliburton will average like 10-15 points against OKC. They are gonna shut him down hard.

[magee]

I'm wondering if this will be the largest point differential in Finals history.

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/highest-point-difference-in-a-finals-series

*Added a list for reference. Spurs were +70 in five games. I can see the Thunder crush that if it goes to 5.

**One more edit. GS were +60 in their 4-game sweep in the 2018 Finals. Thunder could clear that in three games.

[PhilBlackson]

I think Thunder in 5 is the most likely scenario but it's obv def possible IND can perhaps push it to 6.

But I think both Siakam and Hali are gonna have a MUCH tougher series than anything they seen prior to this series. A lot of Pascal's game is driving to the basket and ofc we know the Thunder are absolutely relentless at digging in on the ball plus he's going to have to try and make whichever shots he can over Chet. I said it before but I predict Siakam is gonna have a very tough series, won't be surprised if he has at least a couple of really bad games although I'm certainly not hoping for that for him.

Then Hali has been beating up on non-defending tiny PGs like a hobbled Dame, Garland and Brunson...Caruso, Dort and Wallace are gonna be picking up Hali full court and just smothering tfo him all series. Even Nembhard and Neismith are gonna have to deal with JDub, Dort & SGA's length. While I think the Pacers will put up solid fights occasionally, I think as the series goes on the Thunder will wear them down and out, won't surprise if OKC closes the series with a double digit victory.

[KP Duty]

After making it through that Denver series, OKC is playing more confident and shooting better. OKC in 5.

[Hoop Hunter]

Look at Nostradumbass. Kendrick Perkins always has the worse takes.

Read on Twitter

[CodeBreaker]

Sticking with the underdogs

[MagicMamba88]

Read on Twitter

[John Murdoch]

It's been fun to watch the Pacers play team ball, but I don't think they'll have much success playing that way against OKC. I suspect OKC will make the Pacers play a lot of 1-on-1, which isn't really their game. I have the Thunder in 5.

We have been saying that since round 1 tho

[76ciology]

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What hali should do to deal with Dort

[3ddman23]

I'm just not seeing how the pacers can win this series. I get it. Ya are gonna say don't sleep on them there scary,but we have seen this story over and over again. When was the last time we seen like the pacers win a championship? Maybe 04 pistons? I'm leaning on history and going with OKC here. MVP, best team all season, loaded with depth (just like Indiana). 2 Mobile big guys to handle siakim & turner....

2011 Mavs/Dirk over Heat/LeBron/Wade/Bosh maybe lol

Carlisle also was the Mavs coach.

I was thinking of them also but Dirk is one of the greatest of all times. Indiana doesn't have anyone near that pedigree.

[TheAlchemist]

Haliburton will average like 10-15 points against OKC. They are gonna shut him down hard.

Indiana has Hali, Nesmith, Nembhard, Mathurin as Guards / wings.

It's not going to be about shutting down Haliburton. They have a style where anyone goes off. It's going to be much more surprising then you think.

[jkvonny]

I'm just not seeing how the pacers can win this series. I get it. Ya are gonna say don't sleep on them there scary,but we have seen this story over and over again. When was the last time we seen like the pacers win a championship? Maybe 04 pistons? I'm leaning on history and going with OKC here. MVP, best team all season, loaded with depth (just like Indiana). 2 Mobile big guys to handle siakim & turner....

2011 Mavs/Dirk over Heat/LeBron/Wade/Bosh maybe lol

Carlisle also was the Mavs coach.

I was thinking of them also but Dirk is one of the greatest of all times. Indiana doesn't have anyone near that pedigree.

True

[durden_tyler]

Much has been said about how the officiating changes for/against Shai. But if indeed the Pacers are given some leeway i think, they actually have a shot at winning this series.

Someone get those FIBA refs from the Canada vs France game in the Olympics so that the Pacers are allowed to play some defense!!!

[Ugly0598]

I still think the OKC Thunder could win in 4 games.

[durden_tyler]

I still think the OKC Thunder could win in 4 games.

Odds does not look pretty for the Pacers indeed. All books have the Thunder winning in five and it's even money at OKC in 6 (or -2.5 in the series wins odds)

i am still trying to convince myself that Vegas could be wrong again (like most of these playoffs);
Pacers were dogs (not by much) against the Bucks
Pacers were dogs against the Cavs (before the injuries)
Pacers were dogs (not by much) against the Knicks

It's a tough decision knowing the these Thunder team is for real. There were a few testy moments in the Nuggets' series but really were never in that much trouble despite it going the full seven.

Unfortuately, we already know who wins this series, question is if this can be extended to six or seven.

[lethalizer]

Had a quick look, but I think you have to go back to the 2004 Pistons to see a finals win for an underdog as much as the Pacers currently are.

I personally don't think there's that big of a gap between these two teams, but still.

[Chuck Everett]

People are going to be surprised how close these games will be. The Thunder are the favorites, but I am not sure why anyone expects a walkover. The Pacers offense is the best offense they are seeing these playoffs, with the most contributors on a given roster. They have a legit 9-10 guys who can get double figures in any given game. One regular season game between these two back in February means nothing.

[lethalizer]

People are going to be surprised how close these games will be. The Thunder are the favorites, but I am not sure why anyone expects a walkover. The Pacers offense is the best offense they are seeing these playoffs, with the most contributors on a given roster. They have a legit 9-10 guys who can get double figures in any given game. One regular season game between these two back in February means nothing.

Yeah I agree with this. Since January 1st, the Pacers have been playing like a 57 or so win pace team.

Their early season struggles don't matter come playoff time. Some times teams peak at exactly the right time, and we're seeing that with the Pacers currently.

That being said, I really wonder how Hali will deal with the defensive coverages OKC will throw at him. If he can command a hard double from this D, Pacers can create a very elite offense around him. But if he suffers in single coverage, this will be a very long series for Indy.

Carlisle is a good chess style playoff coach, but he also kinda lets Haliburton do its own thing at times, a thing he previously wasn't that great at.

I think it'd be wise for Hali to listen to his coach a lot more during this series.

[basketballwacko2]

Look at Nostradumbass. Kendrick Perkins always has the worse takes.

Read on Twitter

Perk is a clown.

[Andri]

I think that OKC defense is going to be too much for Indiana to win a series. OKC has a good/great defensive matchup for all the Pacers critical offensive players and I’m not sure Indiana can handle that level of ball pressure consistently.

They generate a lot of turnovers by denying swing passes when the opposing center has the ball, which forces them to be more of a decision maker than they’re comfortable with. I think Myles Turner is gonna be in hell this series.

Good take with the Myles Turner comment. He will be valuable to take rim protection out, but you want him handling the ball the least possible. He would be the weakest link.

I see Carlisle going small as the series go on, with Siakam at 5.