2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (Series tied 2-2)

[GeorgeSears]

One thing is for sure, SGA has validated his MVP award in these Finals.

[Castle Black]

Pacers tonight.

[Chuck Everett]

Couple of missed calls, but this loss is solely on Nesmith. I have no idea what the hell he was doing down the stretch on defense.

What do you mean solely?

Hali played hero ball and made crucial TOs
Mathurin - we all know what happened there
Turner was a non factor
Siakam stopped getting the ball

Idk why Nesmith gets the sole blame

Probably because they were hunting Nesmith on one end and he wasn't making anyone pay on the other. All of his fouls seem to lead to points for OKC as well. He played a poor game overall.

[JujitsuFlip]

Thunder did what they had to and split in Indy.

[mdonnelly1989]

I think the Pacers are cooked. Tonight was the game they had to win. Winning in OKC is just so tough. They barely managed to steal game 1. I can't see them doing it again

I really think this is a toss up. Yes OKC has two of three at home, but these are two very resilient teams and with their youth, I don’t think you can make declarations from here.

One of the better finals we've had in years! I do think this series is going 7.

What a MATCHUP!

[GrandTheftRondo]

The Pacers were winning the game when the 4th started. So how exactly do calls from the 1st half change the outcome? Let's not be a poor sport.

Plays that happen in the first half don’t affect the outcome of the game?

What an incredible take.

I guess all sorts of delusion takes are required when you root for probably the most unwatchable title contender in NBA history

It's really simple. Let me break it down for you so maybe you can get a better understanding okay bud? The Pacers had a chance to hold onto their lead in the 4th quarter and got clamped the **** down by an incredible, historic defense. The Pacers scored 17 points in that 4th quarter. They airballed 3's and missed free throws and that is why they lost the game. How'd you like that block SGA had on Haliburton? Pretty clutch showing by the Thunder there. I'm going to sleep with a smile on my face.

I’ll dumb it down for you.

Every call, possession etc in an NBA game matters.

[LordCovington33]

The fouls aren’t even the thing tonight.

He’s allowed to push off like nobody else in NBA history is.

Then you factor in Caruso and Dort being allowed to maul people all game while nothing is allowed on the other end.

Seriously, watch Dort defend Haliburton for a possession. He slaps the **** out of his arms, he grabs him, pushes him. None of it gets called.

It’s disgraceful.

Literally every superstar pushes off.
Jordan pushed off in 98.
Its annoying but it's basically never called, would be weird to start calling it now

Sent from my SM-S921W using RealGM mobile app

None push as blatantly and hard as SGA does.

Anyway, my post was more about the rest of the officiating.

OKC’s entire gameplan is to test the refs as much as they can.

Their defensive strategy is to hack, whack, grab etc as much as they can knowing the refs can’t call everything or refuse to call it tight.

But no other team is afforded the same leniency with fouls.

It doesn’t make sense.

Tatum says hi. He does it on almost every play.

[BigDan245]

>Complain the game is soft
>Complain fouls aren't being called
>Complain the 90s was better because of physicality
>Complain OKC is too physical

Jesus make up your damn minds

[RandomRaptorfan]

It's crazy that in the year 2025 a team won an NBA Finals game with 3 made 3-pointers.

Edit: also only 10 assists

They say the 96 Bulls can’t play in today’s league lol

Dennis Rodman playing the Lu Dort role would actually cause fan protests in this day and age

[GrandTheftRondo]

Literally every superstar pushes off.
Jordan pushed off in 98.
Its annoying but it's basically never called, would be weird to start calling it now

Sent from my SM-S921W using RealGM mobile app

None push as blatantly and hard as SGA does.

Anyway, my post was more about the rest of the officiating.

OKC’s entire gameplan is to test the refs as much as they can.

Their defensive strategy is to hack, whack, grab etc as much as they can knowing the refs can’t call everything or refuse to call it tight.

But no other team is afforded the same leniency with fouls.

It doesn’t make sense.

Tatum says hi. He does it on almost every play.

Nope.

[VINO 24]

How about call it even on both ends

[x]

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=mMTWbKRU2KEGDaxejGOPtw[/x]

[Marrs-Law]

Welp. Great game, OKC fans. OKC really flipped the script on us in the 4th tonight.

Up until tonight, OKC had won every 1st quarter and we had won every 4th quarter. The exact opposite of what happened tonight.

We lost a huge, huge chance tonight. Unbelievably huge. We basically blew our best chance at a title. It's a 3-game series now with OKC homecourt. We have to win at least one in OKC to win the title. That's very hard to do.

Look, we were able to generate good shots down the stretch. Myles, Nembhard and Hali all had some good looks. We just didn't hit them which is why we lost. Happens but it doesn't make the loss any less devastating.

We're going 7 buddy. It's been a legendary series between the 2 smallest markets in the NBA regardless of the outcome. We all won.

I do agree that we're going 7. I do not expect us to lose 3 straight games. But I also do not expect us to win 1 of the remaining 2 in OKC. We need to but I don't expect it.

You guys have the upper hand now.

While we blew the best opportunity, I really believe we have a decent shot. OKC had no answer for us in the first half, and while the last 15 minutes or so were bad, I feel a lot of that was self-inflicted/fatigue. This Indy team has proven to be resilient time and time again. Keep the faith!

[shi-woo]

Blah blah blah you have to still win the game credit to OKC blah blah blah

Okay now that we got the BS platitudes out of the way lets be honest for a minute. That was a horrifically called game especially in the 4th. As a nietral fan there is just such a clear difference between watching how OKC is reffed opposed to IND. If Nembhart and Nesmith were able to be as physical as Caruso and Dort, that game would have been over in the 1st half. The former two get cranked on every play, pushed off of, and get called for the weakest fouls if they even think about reaching in. OKC gets to legit pummel dudes all game, and Dort is allowed to do to Hali what Nemb dreams of doing to SGA. Its wild how different the whistle for those two OKC guys are compared to everyone else

So much physical play in this game, refs should have just let them play. Honestly, refs took over and tried to control the entire 4th quarter and it was a joke, and one of the reason the Pacers couldn't get into any rhythm. Every play was a dead ball/playing against a set defense, and by design. Refs knew what they were doing and who would benefit from that type of game.

2nd SGA is no longer a player I respect. This dude is not nearly as good as people think, and his forearm shoving defenders literally out of the play is just getting egregious. I used to think he was a mid range wizard, now i'm questioning if he just gets this space from these dirty moves. The fact that the refs refuse to call the extention of the forearm is becoming a problem, and that's SGA's game. All he has is pushing and leaning into guys for calls, it's depressing to watch. Like seriously, people will blame the refs for not calling it, and rightfully so, but to have your entire game modeled after doing this is just sad to see as a basketball fan. Dude isn't even trying to make plays or beat the defense, he's just the dude who steps on your toes and hopes you trip.

This was clearly a game that was influenced by the refs, but "players still need to pull through" or something like that. IMO this was the GM 7, refs showed they will intervene and keep every game close for OKC. It's over, they got those calls in IND, so Pacers have ZERO chance of getting another game in OKC They will need to win by 20 just to win be 5 next game.

[NZB2323]

That’s murder?

[Devilanche]

Denver had a real shot to win game 5 in OKC...Let's see if they have the guts to at least keep it close. If they play a close game and lose, I feel better about this series going 7...If they get boat raced, I think an OKC run in game 6 will seal it. Almost like GSW-BOS.

I don’t think that’s the team that will be playing

[BigDan245]

How about call it even on both ends

[x]

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=mMTWbKRU2KEGDaxejGOPtw[/x]

OKC got called for about 6 blockouts and a ton of ticky tac stuff

[DCasey91]

None push as blatantly and hard as SGA does.

Anyway, my post was more about the rest of the officiating.

OKC’s entire gameplan is to test the refs as much as they can.

Their defensive strategy is to hack, whack, grab etc as much as they can knowing the refs can’t call everything or refuse to call it tight.

But no other team is afforded the same leniency with fouls.

It doesn’t make sense.

Tatum says hi. He does it on almost every play.

Nope.

My guy if you can't understand this there's no helping you. Giannis gets calls against but if being really serious it would be dude just go play a different sport that ain't a push that's a pole-axe coming through

Complain all you want this is how it is

[GrandTheftRondo]

Tatum says hi. He does it on almost every play.

Nope.

My guy if you can't understand this there's no helping you. Giannis gets calls against but if being really serious it would be dude just go play a different sport that ain't a push that's a pole-axe coming through

Complain all you want this is how it is

Okay then explain Caruso and Dort being allowed to play NFL defence out there?

Dort is genuinely the new Draymond.

[web123888]

Game, set, match. Pacers blew the title. Zero chance they win 2 of the next 3 at OKC. Congrats to the Thunder. Just a matter of if it’ll be in 6 or 7.

[mdonnelly1989]

It's crazy that in the year 2025 a team won an NBA Finals game with 3 made 3-pointers.

Edit: also only 10 assists

They say the 96 Bulls can’t play in today’s league lol

Dennis Rodman playing the Lu Dort role would actually cause fan protests in this day and age

That sure is a buzzword these days