2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2)

Moderators: bwgood77, bisme37, zimpy27, KingDavid, cupcakesnake, Domejandro, ken6199, infinite11285, Clav, Dirk

Who seizes a commanding 3-2 lead?

OKC
53
60%
Indiana
36
40%
 
Total votes: 89

FarBeyondDriven
Analyst
Posts: 3,511
And1: 2,701
Joined: Aug 11, 2021

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2) 

Post#1101 » by FarBeyondDriven » Tue Jun 17, 2025 3:49 am

not sure why anyone besides OKC/IND fans would watch this series after they rigged Game 4. Completely pointless
Dan Z
RealGM
Posts: 18,678
And1: 9,276
Joined: Feb 19, 2002
Location: Chicago
 

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2) 

Post#1102 » by Dan Z » Tue Jun 17, 2025 3:50 am

wang000hk wrote:
Jadoogar wrote:
wang000hk wrote:Is RC dropping games purposely?
It is 2 games in a row that Pacers' offense became **** when the starting guards made TOs and missed shots badly
Almost as if OKC is an incredible defensive team

Sent from my SM-S921W using RealGM mobile app

I am sure a decent coach would bench Nembhard or Haliburton who kept playing like ass for TJM
And let Siakam have the ball down the stretch

RC didn't learn from the mistakes at all from game 4


Carlisle probably thought that Haliburton would figure it out.

I'm surprised that he didn't pull Haliburton early in the 4th to see if TJ could get things going (like he did in the 3rd). If not he could always go back to Halburton.

I know he played them together at one point, but that's not the same.
web123888
Senior
Posts: 529
And1: 483
Joined: Feb 26, 2024

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2) 

Post#1103 » by web123888 » Tue Jun 17, 2025 3:50 am

Thunder will win it all for the first time in franchise history. Congrats.
Patches Perry
RealGM
Posts: 13,484
And1: 18,852
Joined: May 11, 2016
 

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2) 

Post#1104 » by Patches Perry » Tue Jun 17, 2025 3:53 am

FarBeyondDriven wrote:not sure why anyone besides OKC/IND fans would watch this series after they rigged Game 4. Completely pointless


Yet here you are.
User avatar
Beethoven
General Manager
Posts: 7,740
And1: 4,682
Joined: May 03, 2012
Location: Utopian Dystopia
 

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2) 

Post#1105 » by Beethoven » Tue Jun 17, 2025 3:53 am

This is one anticlimactic finals. Hurry it up and get it over with. Has there been any other team that has been less charismatic?
Kobe Bryant forever
GO LAKERS
8-)
I've heard it through the grapevine..NBA gods have already designated Los Angeles LAKERS as NBA Champions in near future. The destiny is real. TRUST ME.
User avatar
Dan33185
Sixth Man
Posts: 1,591
And1: 2,182
Joined: Feb 22, 2010
Location: Minnesota
Contact:
     

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2) 

Post#1106 » by Dan33185 » Tue Jun 17, 2025 3:54 am

The Thunder are really going to win it all, aren't they? :banghead:
jkvonny
General Manager
Posts: 7,536
And1: 7,462
Joined: Jun 04, 2021
       

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2) 

Post#1107 » by jkvonny » Tue Jun 17, 2025 3:56 am

web123888 wrote:Thunder will win it all for the first time in franchise history. Congrats.

Technically 2nd time (1979 Seattle SuperSonics).

But, ya. 1st time ever in OKC as the Thunder.
User avatar
Chocolate City Jordanaire
RealGM
Posts: 54,972
And1: 10,532
Joined: Aug 05, 2001
       

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (Series tied 2-2, Game 5 Monday) 

Post#1108 » by Chocolate City Jordanaire » Tue Jun 17, 2025 3:56 am

Dan Z wrote:
Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:
Woodsanity wrote:Loss is on haliburden.


The guy is obviously injured.

Kendrick Perkins was never a good player. He should be fired for calling Haliburton scared.

The Pacers wouldn't be here without Haliburton. Tyrese literally made NBA more than once on playoff game winners.

Woodsanity, I think criticism of the player that carried the Pacers this far is insanity.


While I do think Haliburton will get too much criticism for this game I also think he needed to figure out how to be productive any way he could. He did look scared out there.

I say that and Perk sucks.
He was probably playing tentatively because of injury. You saw scared and a "he should have." I recall his body of work this entire playoffs.

Was he scared against the Knicks when they called him overrated?

He didn't look scared doing the choke gesture.

Haliburton is a courageous competitor who is probably guilty at times of not initiating his team's offense. Today, I think he flat out looked injured.
The Wizards shoukd have drafted Derik Queen

I told you so :banghead:
User avatar
Chocolate City Jordanaire
RealGM
Posts: 54,972
And1: 10,532
Joined: Aug 05, 2001
       

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (Series tied 2-2, Game 5 Monday) 

Post#1109 » by Chocolate City Jordanaire » Tue Jun 17, 2025 3:57 am

Woodsanity wrote:
Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:
Woodsanity wrote:Loss is on haliburden.


The guy is obviously injured.

Kendrick Perkins was never a good player. He should be fired for calling Haliburton scared.

The Pacers wouldn't be here without Haliburton. Tyrese literally made NBA more than once on playoff game winners.

Woodsanity, I think criticism of the player that carried the Pacers this far is insanity.

Hali played far worse than even the bench players. He gets a lot of credit he should get an equal amount of criticism.
He gets criticism. Fine.

I think he's injured.
The Wizards shoukd have drafted Derik Queen

I told you so :banghead:
Swift21
General Manager
Posts: 8,733
And1: 557
Joined: Jan 05, 2004

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2) 

Post#1110 » by Swift21 » Tue Jun 17, 2025 3:58 am

Haliburton needs work on his handle. He looks so uncomfortable trying to create anything off the dribble.
Swift21
General Manager
Posts: 8,733
And1: 557
Joined: Jan 05, 2004

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (Series tied 2-2, Game 5 Monday) 

Post#1111 » by Swift21 » Tue Jun 17, 2025 3:58 am

GrandTheftRondo wrote:
jokeboy86 wrote:
Mamba Mentality wrote:Feel bad for Hali. He’s going to catch a lot of undeserved heat the next couple days. Dude clearly is hobbled anyone who thinks otherwise is just a pure hater.


His offense is too herky jerky still though. A lot of wasted dribbling a lot of possessions

He picks up his dribble way too easily


Agreed.
Dan Z
RealGM
Posts: 18,678
And1: 9,276
Joined: Feb 19, 2002
Location: Chicago
 

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (Series tied 2-2, Game 5 Monday) 

Post#1112 » by Dan Z » Tue Jun 17, 2025 3:59 am

Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:
Dan Z wrote:
Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:
The guy is obviously injured.

Kendrick Perkins was never a good player. He should be fired for calling Haliburton scared.

The Pacers wouldn't be here without Haliburton. Tyrese literally made NBA more than once on playoff game winners.

Woodsanity, I think criticism of the player that carried the Pacers this far is insanity.


While I do think Haliburton will get too much criticism for this game I also think he needed to figure out how to be productive any way he could. He did look scared out there.

I say that and Perk sucks.
He was probably playing tentatively because of injury. You saw scared and a "he should have." I recall his body of work this entire playoffs.

Was he scared against the Knicks when they called him overrated?

He didn't look scared doing the choke gesture.

Haliburton is a courageous competitor who is probably guilty at times of not initiating his team's offense. Today, I think he flat out looked injured.


If he was hurt to the point where he can't perform then they should've sat him.

I've seen other players in past NBA playoff games who fought through injuries and still helped their teams.
User avatar
Chocolate City Jordanaire
RealGM
Posts: 54,972
And1: 10,532
Joined: Aug 05, 2001
       

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2) 

Post#1113 » by Chocolate City Jordanaire » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:00 am

Statlanta wrote:The same people saying we should give Haliburton slack would be trolling James Harden for choking and coming up small in big games.


7/6/6 is not good and he is the reason his team is facing elimination. Kendrick Perkins doesn't need to tell my hyperbole to know that.
If not for Haliburton, Indiana wouldn't be playing in the Finals.
The Wizards shoukd have drafted Derik Queen

I told you so :banghead:
canada_dry
General Manager
Posts: 9,114
And1: 7,141
Joined: Aug 22, 2017

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2) 

Post#1114 » by canada_dry » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:01 am

He really played like the haliban tonight.

Sent from my SM-G960W using RealGM mobile app
wang000hk
Sixth Man
Posts: 1,580
And1: 322
Joined: May 18, 2009

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2) 

Post#1115 » by wang000hk » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:06 am

Dan Z wrote:
wang000hk wrote:
Jadoogar wrote:Almost as if OKC is an incredible defensive team

Sent from my SM-S921W using RealGM mobile app

I am sure a decent coach would bench Nembhard or Haliburton who kept playing like ass for TJM
And let Siakam have the ball down the stretch

RC didn't learn from the mistakes at all from game 4


Carlisle probably thought that Haliburton would figure it out.

I'm surprised that he didn't pull Haliburton early in the 4th to see if TJ could get things going (like he did in the 3rd). If not he could always go back to Halburton.

I know he played them together at one point, but that's not the same.

He waited until it was late to play TJM
I don't get his coaching down the stretch for past 2 games at all
Jazz9
Assistant Coach
Posts: 4,223
And1: 7,483
Joined: Mar 29, 2009

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2) 

Post#1116 » by Jazz9 » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:07 am

Carlisle should have pulled Hali.
Of course he wants to play, even through injury, but he didn't bring anything to the table.
Wasn't even "good" enough to act as a decoy.
He did OKC a favor playing him as much as he did in the 4th
User avatar
MoneyTalks41890
Forum Mod
Forum Mod
Posts: 32,917
And1: 25,253
Joined: Oct 13, 2009
 

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2) 

Post#1117 » by MoneyTalks41890 » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:10 am

Shai just put in the first 30 point 10 assist and 4 block finals game ever
GeorgeSears
Lead Assistant
Posts: 5,639
And1: 6,080
Joined: Feb 10, 2021
 

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2) 

Post#1118 » by GeorgeSears » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:12 am

Two players lived up to their titles.

Shai : The MVP

Haliburton: The Most Overrated
User avatar
Chocolate City Jordanaire
RealGM
Posts: 54,972
And1: 10,532
Joined: Aug 05, 2001
       

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2) 

Post#1119 » by Chocolate City Jordanaire » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:18 am

Patches Perry wrote:
FarBeyondDriven wrote:not sure why anyone besides OKC/IND fans would watch this series after they rigged Game 4. Completely pointless


Yet here you are.
I think game six is in the bag. Indiana will win, especially if The Extender officiates.

Game 7s attract a massive viewing audience.
The Wizards shoukd have drafted Derik Queen

I told you so :banghead:
User avatar
XTC
General Manager
Posts: 8,697
And1: 8,767
Joined: Nov 09, 2005
 

Re: 2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2) 

Post#1120 » by XTC » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:18 am

Shai about to join the illustrious list of players to win a MVP + Championship + Finals MVP in a single season. He's the complete package.

Return to The General Board