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

jc23 · Post #301 » by **jc23** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 1:02 am

Pacers are the best team OKC has played. Yes there is no high level player like Joker, but you also dont have the defensive and offensive liabilities that you could exploit with Denver and the Wolves. I see this as a good series with a few blowouts. Pacers need game 1 more then OKC does. Get that and you have a chance. Otherwise OKC has the best player in the series, homecourt and just as deep if not deeper of a bench. today i would pick okc in 6. oh, i also think the Pacers have the better head coach.

vcdplaya3007 · Post #302 » by **vcdplaya3007** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 1:06 am

akula1488 wrote:this will probably be one of the worst finals ever, in terms of TV ratings. I think people are already looking forward to NBA draft and off-season moves.

This 2025 pacers team reminds me of the 2008 pau gasol Lakers. A second half season team which peaked after January, and then destroyed teams with overwhelming offensive talent. Up until the finals there was no team who could slow them down. Then they ran into an absolute juggernaut 67 historic defensive team in the Celtics and their offense completely fell apart in the finals. Pacers will win a game or maybe two but this won’t be close.

jehosafats · Post #303 » by **jehosafats** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 1:25 am

I love it. No Lebron. No Steph. Nobody with any real national profile. All new, ascendant players, coming for the title. Let's go!

ryan in Maine · Post #304 » by **ryan in Maine** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 1:37 am

This is such a long break.

bucknut · Post #305 » by **bucknut** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 2:37 am

replay is on nbatv now from the most recent game

nip and tuck so far. Haliburton had plenty of open shots in first quarter - which wasn't what i was expecting.

Isiah joe much better then he has been all playoffs

Post #306 » by **Nuntius** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 3:22 am

LAvision wrote:This will be a massacre, I don’t see one thing the pacers do better. And a bad half court team vs an elite and versatile defense….. yikes, thing are going to get ugly.

The Pacers are not a bad half court team.

xxSnEaKyPxx · Post #307 » by **xxSnEaKyPxx** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 6:27 am

akula1488 wrote:this will probably be one of the worst finals ever, in terms of TV ratings. I think people are already looking forward to NBA draft and off-season moves.

Read on Twitter

xxSnEaKyPxx · Post #308 » by **xxSnEaKyPxx** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 7:12 am

Read on Twitter

Not all of these are iconic, but man, there are numerous iconic plays in there for a single playoff run. Dude has done some amazing things this postseason.

Sakkreth · Post #309 » by **Sakkreth** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 7:32 am

jc23 wrote:Pacers are the best team OKC has played. Yes there is no high level player like Joker, but you also dont have the defensive and offensive liabilities that you could exploit with Denver and the Wolves. I see this as a good series with a few blowouts. Pacers need game 1 more then OKC does. Get that and you have a chance. Otherwise OKC has the best player in the series, homecourt and just as deep if not deeper of a bench. today i would pick okc in 6. oh, i also think the Pacers have the better head coach.

No lol. Pacers not even a playoffs team in the West

One Last Shot · Post #310 » by **One Last Shot** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 8:41 am

Sakkreth wrote:
jc23 wrote:Pacers are the best team OKC has played. Yes there is no high level player like Joker, but you also dont have the defensive and offensive liabilities that you could exploit with Denver and the Wolves. I see this as a good series with a few blowouts. Pacers need game 1 more then OKC does. Get that and you have a chance. Otherwise OKC has the best player in the series, homecourt and just as deep if not deeper of a bench. today i would pick okc in 6. oh, i also think the Pacers have the better head coach.

No lol. Pacers not even a playoffs team in the West

Why you keep saying this? It's really dumb to even suggest that, Pacers have 21-10 record against the West. If you have a basic understanding of math that's 56-win pace, 2nd seed in the Western Conference.

lethalizer · Post #311 » by **lethalizer** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 8:53 am

One Last Shot wrote:
Sakkreth wrote:
jc23 wrote:Pacers are the best team OKC has played. Yes there is no high level player like Joker, but you also dont have the defensive and offensive liabilities that you could exploit with Denver and the Wolves. I see this as a good series with a few blowouts. Pacers need game 1 more then OKC does. Get that and you have a chance. Otherwise OKC has the best player in the series, homecourt and just as deep if not deeper of a bench. today i would pick okc in 6. oh, i also think the Pacers have the better head coach.

No lol. Pacers not even a playoffs team in the West

Why you keep saying this? It's really dumb to even suggest that, Pacers have 21-10 record against the West. If you have a basic understanding of math that's 56-win pace, 2nd seed in the Western Conference.

You're right of course.

But just as a fun exercise, if we're doing the basic math this way, that would make OKC a 79-3 team in the Eastern Conference, which is hilarious to even think about.

Post #312 » by **Nuntius** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 9:43 am

Sakkreth wrote:
jc23 wrote:Pacers are the best team OKC has played. Yes there is no high level player like Joker, but you also dont have the defensive and offensive liabilities that you could exploit with Denver and the Wolves. I see this as a good series with a few blowouts. Pacers need game 1 more then OKC does. Get that and you have a chance. Otherwise OKC has the best player in the series, homecourt and just as deep if not deeper of a bench. today i would pick okc in 6. oh, i also think the Pacers have the better head coach.

No lol. Pacers not even a playoffs team in the West

The Pacers were 21-10 against the West this year. Our record against the East, on the other hand, was 29-22.

67.7% win percentage against the West, 56.8% win percentage against the East.

We had a winning record against every division in the NBA except the Southeast Division (Orlando, Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington). We were 9-9 against the Southeast.

So, yeah, I would rethink that stance of yours. Chances are that our record would be even better if we competed in the West. We play up to our opponents, after all.

Post #313 » by **Nuntius** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 9:48 am

lethalizer wrote:
One Last Shot wrote:
Sakkreth wrote:
No lol. Pacers not even a playoffs team in the West

Why you keep saying this? It's really dumb to even suggest that, Pacers have 21-10 record against the West. If you have a basic understanding of math that's 56-win pace, 2nd seed in the Western Conference.

You're right of course.

But just as a fun exercise, if we're doing the basic math this way, that would make OKC a 79-3 team in the Eastern Conference, which is hilarious to even think about.

OKC is a historically great team for a reason :wink:

bbms · Post #314 » by **bbms** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 10:03 am

jc23 wrote:Pacers are the best team OKC has played. Yes there is no high level player like Joker, but you also dont have the defensive and offensive liabilities that you could exploit with Denver and the Wolves. I see this as a good series with a few blowouts. Pacers need game 1 more then OKC does. Get that and you have a chance. Otherwise OKC has the best player in the series, homecourt and just as deep if not deeper of a bench. today i would pick okc in 6. oh, i also think the Pacers have the better head coach.

haliburton is going to be picked up on every thunder offensive possession. he's the target. also shai loves the hali matchup, but miles turner, and that nembhard guy.

you guys are crazy thinking chet is a weaklink but doesn't see indy is leaking exploitable matchups everywhere in their defense

lethalizer · Post #315 » by **lethalizer** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 11:01 am

Nuntius wrote:
lethalizer wrote:
One Last Shot wrote:
Why you keep saying this? It's really dumb to even suggest that, Pacers have 21-10 record against the West. If you have a basic understanding of math that's 56-win pace, 2nd seed in the Western Conference.

You're right of course.

But just as a fun exercise, if we're doing the basic math this way, that would make OKC a 79-3 team in the Eastern Conference, which is hilarious to even think about.

OKC is a historically great team for a reason

Small jabs like these aside, I'm really glad we're playing each other in a finals matchup, man. I remember our talks on this board like 12 years ago. Never would I have guessed facing the Indiana Pacers sometime in the NBA Finals and both of us commenting here still.

Guess I'm just taking the opportunity to say good luck, hopefully we'll see some great basketball games.

hauntedcomputer · Post #316 » by **hauntedcomputer** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 12:06 pm

akula1488 wrote:if OKC wins this in 5 or 4, that is funny because it proves the real MVP is Jokic because out of the 4 components, only Den would have taken them to 7 games while the other 3 teams could not even make it to game 6.

The real MVP is the guy who lost to the champion. Make it make sense.

akula1488 · Post #317 » by **akula1488** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 1:23 pm

hauntedcomputer wrote:
akula1488 wrote:if OKC wins this in 5 or 4, that is funny because it proves the real MVP is Jokic because out of the 4 components, only Den would have taken them to 7 games while the other 3 teams could not even make it to game 6.

The real MVP is the guy who lost to the champion. Make it make sense.

Basketball is a team sport. Denver has much worse 2-7 vs OKC.
Championships are for teams and that’s why they have individual awards.

jc23 · Post #318 » by **jc23** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 1:39 pm

bbms wrote:
jc23 wrote:Pacers are the best team OKC has played. Yes there is no high level player like Joker, but you also dont have the defensive and offensive liabilities that you could exploit with Denver and the Wolves. I see this as a good series with a few blowouts. Pacers need game 1 more then OKC does. Get that and you have a chance. Otherwise OKC has the best player in the series, homecourt and just as deep if not deeper of a bench. today i would pick okc in 6. oh, i also think the Pacers have the better head coach.

haliburton is going to be picked up on every thunder offensive possession. he's the target. also shai loves the hali matchup, but miles turner, and that nembhard guy.

you guys are crazy thinking chet is a weaklink but doesn't see indy is leaking exploitable matchups everywhere in their defense

either way its no sweat off my back. my team sucks.

durden_tyler · Post #319 » by **durden_tyler** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 3:41 pm

jehosafats wrote:I love it. No Lebron. No Steph. Nobody with any real national profile. All new, ascendant players, coming for the title. Let's go!

Yes! Finally, what real basketball fans need/want! Luckily, we might never see LeBron or Steph in this stage again

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Patches Perry · Post #320 » by **Patches Perry** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 5:28 pm

akula1488 wrote:
hauntedcomputer wrote:
akula1488 wrote:if OKC wins this in 5 or 4, that is funny because it proves the real MVP is Jokic because out of the 4 components, only Den would have taken them to 7 games while the other 3 teams could not even make it to game 6.

The real MVP is the guy who lost to the champion. Make it make sense.

Basketball is a team sport. Denver has much worse 2-7 vs OKC.
Championships are for teams and that’s why they have individual awards.

You cant have it both ways though. If giving an individual credit for their team winning is wrong, then so is giving an individual credit for his team almost winning.

Which team becomes 2025 NBA Champions?