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

NyKnicks1714 · Post #321 » by **NyKnicks1714** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 5:40 pm

Kind of crazy: OKC's net rating this season was 10.6 higher than Indiana's. That's one of the highest ever in any playoff series, top 5 I think.

Post #322 » by **Clav** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 6:03 pm

I need NBA basketball! Please can these two days just pass quickly. Where's the fast forward button...

Optms · Post #323 » by **Optms** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 6:08 pm

vcdplaya3007 wrote:
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.

Pau Gasol's Lakers? What the hec is this crap.

Also this Pacers team is absolutely nothing like the Pau and KOBE Lakers. No idea where that is coming from. Like what? Boston isn't anything like OKC either. Random AF.

Zeno · Post #324 » by **Zeno** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 6:09 pm

I have Pacers winning game 1, followed by OKC pulling off the douche bag sweep.

canada_dry · Post #325 » by **canada_dry** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 7:16 pm

So this is gonna be a 3rd straight pretty uncompetitive finals like i said was at risk back in the 2nd round? Shocker.

2023 heat vs nuggets. Nuggets heavy favorites

2024 boston vs dallas. Celtics heavy favorites.

2025 okc vs indiana. Thunder heavy favorites.

We aint bad a good one since warriors vs celtics.

Sent from my SM-G960W using RealGM mobile app

basketballwacko2 · Post #326 » by **basketballwacko2** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 7:16 pm

Clav wrote:I need NBA basketball! Please can these two days just pass quickly. Where's the fast forward button...

You could watch the WNBA. :lol:

basketballwacko2 · Post #327 » by **basketballwacko2** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 7:18 pm

bisme37 wrote:Game 1: Thursday June 5th, 8:30pm ET on ABC

Congrats and enjoy the Finals, Thunder and Pacers fans, go your team!

And
Then
There
Were
Two.
:nod:

Post #328 » by **MoneyTalks41890** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 8:15 pm

Read on Twitter

Post #329 » by **Clav** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 8:41 pm

basketballwacko2 wrote:
Clav wrote:I need NBA basketball! Please can these two days just pass quickly. Where's the fast forward button...

You could watch the WNBA.

Hence why I clarified with 'NBA' :lol:

good on the W, but it's just not rly my jam

Post #330 » by **G R E Y** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 8:50 pm

Come OOOOOOON, Thursday!

Let's basketball already!

Post #331 » by **Nuntius** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 9:26 pm

lethalizer wrote:
Nuntius wrote:
lethalizer wrote:
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.

This wasn't meant as a jab at all. OKC is a legitimately great team, imo. I love it that one of us will win their first title. This is a pretty great timeline

YogurtProducer · Post #332 » by **YogurtProducer** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 10:17 pm

Castle Black wrote:

Read on Twitter

So by biggest upset in history they actually meant tied for it?

What a dumb tweet

SlimShady83 · Post #333 » by **SlimShady83** » Tue Jun 3, 2025 11:06 pm

OKC in 6 games, if the series goes to 7 games I give to Pacers

duppyy · Post #334 » by **duppyy** » Wed Jun 4, 2025 12:04 am

I’m picking OKC.

Before the Minnesota series I heard Ant was too good, Randle playing like a beast and they are very deep. OKC shut all that down except for one game.

Cubbies2120 · Post #335 » by **Cubbies2120** » Wed Jun 4, 2025 12:22 am

Optms wrote:
vcdplaya3007 wrote:
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.

Pau Gasol's Lakers? What the hec is this crap.

Also this Pacers team is absolutely nothing like the Pau and KOBE Lakers. No idea where that is coming from. Like what? Boston isn't anything like OKC either. Random AF.

The Kobe Lakers weren't doing too hot in the playoffs til Pau got there tbh...
05 - Missed playoffs entirely
06 - Bounced in first round
07 - Bounced in first round

After Pau got there, they went 22-5 in games he played (81.4%)

Post #336 » by **HMFFL** » Wed Jun 4, 2025 12:47 am

duppyy wrote:I’m picking OKC.

Before the Minnesota series I heard Ant was too good, Randle playing like a beast and they are very deep. OKC shut all that down except for one game.

Correct.
The Basketball IQ of OKC is at a much higher level than the rest of the league. They learn and get better.

Blame Rasho · Post #337 » by **Blame Rasho** » Wed Jun 4, 2025 1:34 am

It is hard for me to believe that the Pacers will be able to score as much as they do while limiting the Thunder. I see the series going 5, but I hope I am wrong.

Post #338 » by **Diop** » Wed Jun 4, 2025 2:53 am

Optms wrote:
vcdplaya3007 wrote:
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.

Pau Gasol's Lakers? What the hec is this crap.

Also this Pacers team is absolutely nothing like the Pau and KOBE Lakers. No idea where that is coming from. Like what? Boston isn't anything like OKC either. Random AF.

i guess if you said Bryant lakers you wouldn't know which version he is talking about, i knew straight away when he said Pau.

That Boston team was just flat out better too, Ray Allen shot over 50% threes in that final series. Garnett is the ultimate do it all Pippen style dominating glue guy. Pierce and Rondo do their play off thing. Posey was always a good playoff role player thats how ended up with 2 championships starting on 2 different teams.

Lakers were Bryant, Pau and Occasional Odom (I always expected more from Lamar, he seemed so talented). They did well to make the finals

Post #339 » by **Diop** » Wed Jun 4, 2025 3:01 am

Cubbies2120 wrote:
Optms wrote:
vcdplaya3007 wrote:
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.

Pau Gasol's Lakers? What the hec is this crap.

Also this Pacers team is absolutely nothing like the Pau and KOBE Lakers. No idea where that is coming from. Like what? Boston isn't anything like OKC either. Random AF.

The Kobe Lakers weren't doing too hot in the playoffs til Pau got there tbh...
05 - Missed playoffs entirely
06 - Bounced in first round
07 - Bounced in first round

After Pau got there, they went 22-5 in games he played (81.4%)

i remember coaches complained about that trade, it wasn't quite Doncic to Lakers but it was clearly one sided at the time. thankfull Marc Gasol made it seem a little more even in the future.

but it was ALWAYS Bryants Lakers teams, that was his ego and how he worked. was why him and Shaq were never going to work long term and I'm not knocking Kobe, he was emulating MJ and using that drive to win. as Richard Jefferson said if you don't have massive confidence and ego you wont last in the NBA

Post #340 » by **Diop** » Wed Jun 4, 2025 3:03 am

Blame Rasho wrote:It is hard for me to believe that the Pacers will be able to score as much as they do while limiting the Thunder. I see the series going 5, but I hope I am wrong.

this is it for me, ive been barracking for the Pacers and think they are the right team to have made the finals. they will fight hard but I think Thunder is deeper and longer which will make it too tough for Indiana

Which team becomes 2025 NBA Champions?