2025 NBA Finals: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers

Just looking at that beginning Haliburton montage, I haven't seen a playoff serial killer like this since peak Lillard was dropping daggers. He really is a throwback to Reggie Miller and might have arguably surpass him in clutch playoff shots for a single playoff run.

 

I agree and this goes back to mental strength in players I look for. Right now the Pacers believe they can win any game even if they are down 20+ points, on the road in a hostile crowd. That mental strength and personal belief becomes reality with action, practice and starts becoming a habit.

In any sport, if two opponents are evenly matched or close, aside from a lucky break, the mentally stronger one typically always wins in the long run.

It all depends on how OKC responds and adjusts, a lot of basketball left, so not going to call it early yet. Fun series, we'll see what happens.

 

3pt shooting is the great equalizer.

DD

 

We would be down 15, we need 3pt shooting……

DD

 

Yep, that’s what kept the Pacers in the game despite the turnovers. They have a lot of good 3pt shooters.

 

But have you seen a player have 12 turnovers by himself in a playoff game?

that has to be some sort of record

Spoiler

oh look it’s your bum ass loser hero!

 

On this one, we agree. I think our goal should be to have three ~40% on high volume three point shooters around Amen and Sengun at all times. Maybe somehow get Darius Garland and Cam Johnson while sending out Fred or Jalen (either one, the remaining guy becomes 6th man) plus Tari Eason and salary filler/picks.

It's time that we acknowledge who our best two players are and make the moves that create a roster built for them. If a superstar becomes available at a price that makes sense, fine, but if not, that's our second-best play right now. "Add shooting" should be the two-word slogan for the entire Rockets offseason.

 

Only caveat I'd have is "add shooting without sacrificing our defensive identity." We can't just turn into shooter spam and drop to a mid-defensive team.

 

See, I hate this weird take that this Finals was somehow going to be a sweep or easy for the Thunder. Even on local broadcast here the main analyst said after the lead, maybe the Pacers can actually make it a series. I mean are you kidding me? Have these people watched the Pacers?! They took care of 3 very solid to great teams, stole home games like crazy, comebacks left and right, never out of it etc. Pacers legitimately have a chance and they proved it again.

Granted, for most of the game it didn’t look like it, but I kept watching - definitely skipped through some - because with some many turnovers, being only down 12 at the half told me this was far from over. And even if Pacers had lost, they should’ve felt good about this game, because Siakam nor Haliburton had their usual 20-30 point games, they played into OKC’s hands, played scared at the beginning and seemed intent on rushing things. Sometimes it’s also tougher on a team like the Pacers, because they don’t have that 1 guy like Shai. It’s literally changing from one game to the next who their star is going to be.

The only thing that might really keep the Pacers from winning this is the amount of physicality OKC can get away with. I thought the refs at certain points definitely did not help the Pacers getting into a rhythm, mainly Dort gets away with a lot, but they also shot themselves in the foot by dribbling into 2-3 guys, not taking advantage of space and being too slow and lazy with protecting the ball. So all in all, this is probably the best possible result for the Pacers since nobody really played a very solid game, but together they all chipped in. That block by Mathurin, the only guy ironically who didn’t hit a 3, was particularly very satisfying.

Now the Thunder also didn’t play their best game so it’s still anybody’s series, but Pacers definitely have the upper hand here. They should feel very confident heading into the next. This might have broken the Thunder already. Though I could also easily see the next being a big ass blow out, but going back 1-1 is still a very solid result. Let’s see, but anyone who counted the Pacers out before this first game is just not someone who’s opinion I believe we should value. To me this always felt like a 6-7 game series waiting to happen.

Let’s go Pacers!!

 

Man, did this dude just did this?

said John Starks

 

OKC got too cute with adjustments. Hart should have started and definitely played more than 18mins.

 

Pacers had 6 guys scored in double digits, none more than 20 points. 24 of their 39 baskets were assisted.

 

Jalen Williams actually got to double digits.

 

The Magic of Halli Potter!!

Rocket River

 

The key in the comeback was OKC finally blinked. The Thunder went 0-5 from 3-point range in the 4th quarter, but it's important to see who was shooting and missing (Wallace 0-2, Williams 0-1, and Dort 0-3). Dort had been 5–7 up to that point.

SGA played his game 6-6 at the line, 2-4 from the field for 10 points in the 4th quarter.

OKC was 11-13 from the line in the 4th quarter compared to 5-7 for the Pacers.

But no one can trade 3s for 2s. The Pacers got hot from 3 at the right moment. Five offensive boards to zero for OKC helped too.

I would add that Pacers have athletic 3-point shooters. Gotta have both characteristics.

 

I blame this fan in the stands.

 

I wanted McConnell to get that 10th point!

Plus... 9 different guys (all but Mathurin) made at least one 3-pointer, and Mathurin didn't attempt one.

I know it sounds a little cocky to say that I wasn't surprised, sorry, but it's true. I was very pleased, for sure, but at this point a late comeback effort is expected. I know I was saying to my wife at the end of the 3rd "They'll get it under 10, they'll get it under 10" and they did. I had a moment of angst when OKC ran it back up to 15 in the 4th but I knew there was more to come from the Pacers.

Fun times!

 

He asks for the ball and his teammates rush to get it to him, I feel that fuels his aura and he then lives up to the trust they put in him.

Ime would of benched him when he was getting attacked on D and having a off shooting night

 

I was pulling for the Pacers, but I’m going to a bet on the Thunder winning the next 4 in a row. That loss will wake them up. They are a far superior team in my opinion.