2025 NBA Finals: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers

I don't think the Pacers will win two at home mainly because I don't trust Halliburton to play well both games. As you said, OKC is not the Knicks.

IMO, all the Pacers accomplished by splitting the first two was avoiding a sweep. The heat will be hotter in games 3 and 4 for both teams.

 

Pacers can still take this series, this was always expected to be a blowout. HOWEVER, Haliburton can have all the clutch plays he wants, he’s not a star yet. He has not put the team on his back, he’s not even close to producing a solid game in these finals and same for his sidekick in Turner. What a softer than tissue that guy has been. I would not pay that guy and rather look for an upgrade. In general though, I do see the Thunder are allowed to get away with a lot: blatant swipes at the arms by Dort and Caruso, blatant holding and pushing around the half-court line not being called etc. If they call those in Indiana, Pacers definitely have a shot, but it has to start with some kind of consistent production from Turner and Haliburton to be THAT guy.

 

Someone finally passed the rockets up in difficulty. Can they win it all though?

 

Yeah his 18.6 ppg has been one of his lowest productions in a more than average Regular season.

He somehow turned it on after the All Star Break and people forgot his non production before that.

 

The media likes to create a superstar.

Fact is, the Pacers are built on depth and balance, where you have up to 10 guys in the rotation making three pointers, up to 4 capable of scoring 30, all 10 capable of 10+.

Hali is merely the top closer, but really any shot needed can be made by whomever is OPEN

A couple of guys are off, others step up.

It's an unusual NBA formula

 

You still need a guy to be THE guy, it’s just a fact. Pacers might have been lucky and unusual, but at this stage, they definitely need a star.

 

The Pacers is an example of not having a 1A franchise guy but having two 1B/2A guys and a bunch of 2B kind of players to throw at you. Together with good coaching, that can have a shot at the championship but not the favorite. Can the Rockets build a team like that even if none of the kids turn into top 10 player?

 

This can work great during the regular season when NBA teams are in the "ships passing in the night" phase. However, the route to a championship often includes meeting at least one elite defensive team. During the playoffs (particularly later rounds), elite defensive teams are so good it takes an alpha offensive player to "break the chains" because fundamental, unselfish team offense just won't be good enough. SGA is "the guy" for OKC who will figure out how to be successful against any defense. Since the Pacers don't have that guy, their chances aren't good. They will need Halliburton and/or Siakam to go alpha at least 3 times to secure 3 more wins.

OKC's game 1 collapse could end up being a fluke. As long as they play 48 mins of their normal disruptive defense, it will be hard for them to lose. They have studied and experienced all of the Pacers offensive tendencies and preferences. On the other end, they can ride SGA + whichever 2-3 other players are hot.

Halliburton will learn he must develop into more of an alpha scorer vs. being a facilitator. There is a reason their current formula can be considered "unusual".

 

The Rockets can build a team like that but it won't win a championship.

I'm not going to post it here, but take a look at the last 15 NBA Finals MVPs. All except one or two were top 3 players. Legit expectations for a championship without a 1A franchise player are foolhardy.

 

I know the vast majority of champions had a top 5 player. I guess I am the kind of guy that always wants to see the "conventional wisdom" fail. That's why I am rooting for Indy to win.

 

Haliburton has easily been a Top 5 or Top 4 guy in the Playoffs as players are kicked out of Playoffs by him and his team.

The Wit and endurance practiced by Presti and his organization has easily deserved a Championship, it would have with KD,Harden and WB.

He will be building another 3 head juggernaut in 10 years into the future.

It comes full circle.

 

I forgot all about this

 

Can't use playoffs team success to compare individual players. Or else you'd conclude that Antman is better than Luka and LeBron. Other than those last second winners, Haliburton's playoffs performance isn't really exceptionally great. His regular season ranking is somewhere in the top 15 range.

 

What I meant is he is not exactly Fred Van Vleet who comes out of nowhere to drop 38 once and then 10 points next game.

Haliburton has gravity so that his passing affects the game like a Mini Joker.

I agree, he isn't that great of a scorer but can score when needed in the clutch.

 

Sunday’s Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals Game 2 averaged 8.76 million viewers on ABC, down 29% from Mavericks-Celtics (12.31M) and the least-watched Game 2 of the Finals since the Heat-Lakers in the fall 2020 “bubble.” Outside of that anomalous circumstance, it was the least-watched since Cavaliers-Spurs opposite the series finale of “The Sopranos” in 2007 (8.55M).

The only other Game 2 with a smaller audience in the Nielsen people meter era (1988-present) was Nets-Spurs on a Friday night in 2003 (8.06M).

I already knew Adam Silver and the rest of NBA HQ was on suicide watch when this was the Finals matchup…doesn’t help that the game quality has been bad outside of the 4th quarter of game 1

 

NBA doesn’t give a **** about that, they are in the best position they’ve ever been.

 

If the Pacers had lost 123-107 in GAME 1 and then got a comeback miracle win in GAME 2, people wanting the Pacers to win the series would all be deliriously happy about them getting the split.

But the other way around and somehow the mood is straight doom and gloom.

I think they are both the same. I don't really believe in momentum, since the Pacers have followed up every bad game over the past many months with a good game / win. Then after some wins they have a hangover.

Need some home court magic, and OKC's support guys to struggle on the road, as they have, often.

 

Fortunately for the NBA, the new media deals becoming effective this year will drown them in money until 2036. My head explodes every time I think about them. ESPN and NBC completely lost their minds.

 

Game 1 was not a bad game to watch as a neutral fan. Defense was great. OKC was creating turnovers but Pacers matched up well in transition. Anytime OKC got the lead above 12, Pacer would go on their own run. The game never felt out of reach for the Pacers.

Game 2 was more of a blowout when OKC could sustain the lead at 20. But it's hard to count the Pacers out after what they've shown this postseason.

Pacers came out 1-1 for playing away. They did their job. It's still anyone's series.

Maybe if the media hyped up hot teams more instead of only talking about the Lakers, Warriors, Celtics, or Knicks, there'd be more interest.