After a marathon season and an intense Playoff campaign, the NBA will know its new champion. A different seventh champion in seven years because no one can keep their title in the finals since the Warriors…
In a large league which is increasingly sanctioning the too spending teams, this duel is thus that of youth, with two teams built in mirror around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the one hand, and Tyrese Haliburton on the other. But it is also a confrontation between two franchises which have been able to constitute a dense rotation, and much wider than what we are used to seeing in playoffs.
Two franchises which are also one of the smallest NBA markets, Indiana being in 22nd place in the number of viewers in its urban area, and Oklahoma City 26th on 28.
“This is a new trademark for the League. The era of 'Supers Teams' and stack (stars) is no longer as effective. The NBA follows trends, it evolves. The new trend is what we do. OKC does the same thing. Young people run, defend and use the power of friendship ” explained Myles Turner.
Youth, constant and coordinated physical intensity fueled by a wide rotation … which allowed Paris Saint-Germain to win its first Champions League will also allow the Thunder or Pacers to win a first NBA title, since the two clubs have never been champions in the big league.
Admittedly, the supersonics were in 1979 but the Thunder dissociates its history from that of the Seattle club. As for the Pacers, they never won that in ABA, in 1970, 1972 and 1973.
Presentation of Oklahoma City Thunder
Holder : Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein
Replacement : Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Kenrich Williams, Dillon Jones, Jaylin Williams, Ousmane Dieng, Ajay Mitchell
Absent : Nikola Topic
Coach : Mark Daigneault
Despite their historical season, everyone was waiting to see how the Thunder was going to manage in playoffs, when the intensity rises from a notch. After a walk in the first round facing grizzles quickly too weakened following the injury of JA Morant, Oklahoma City was really put to the test by Nikola Jokic and his band in the conference semi-final. Led 1-2 after having missed two purposes, and pushed to Game 7, the troop of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ended up finding solutions, notably with Alex Caruso on the “Joker” …
In the conference final, there was no photo against the Wolves, who have much less embarrassed a safe group of its forces, and which therefore arrives in the finals with the wind in the back, and the grand favorite label.
Strengths
– A stifling defense. We said and repeated, but the strength of this Thunder is based first on this incredible defense, which steals a number of balloons never seen and can thus feed its fast game attack. Aggressive but coordinated, present on the pass lines without (too) discovering themselves on the other side of the field, hyper mobile and intense, the players of Mark Daigneault put a mad pressure on the attackers. With the double effect of torpedoing opposing patterns but also to feed their own offensive game.
-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Obviously, owning the MVP of the regular season and the best marker in the campaign is a significant asset for Oklahoma City. “SGA” is thus the offensive engine of this team, capable of making the difference in one and one and finding a shot on almost every possession, but it is also a player who loses very few balloons. Thunder is generally a team that spoils few ammunition, with simple but effective schemes in attack, which make it possible to maximize the “battle of possession”.
Weak points
– The attack on the area. If the nuggets pushed the Thunder in its entrenchments, it is especially because they were able to use the “zone” (in different forms) to control the biggest forces of Oklahoma City. This notably allowed them to place people ahead of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander before he attacks the defense halfway. We can therefore think that the Pacers will use certain areas, especially since the 3-point address in the Thunder has dropped a lot during these playoffs, especially outside …
-Money-time management? While Stephen Curry's Warriors crushed their opponents with their offensive “runs” in the third quarter, the Thunder by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has become the specialist in defensive “runs” in the third quarter. This allowed Oklahoma City to win a lot of games by huge gaps … and finally play few tight matches. In the start of the series against the Nuggets, it played tricks on the Thunder, and it could continue against these Pacers, who became specialists in the reversal of the situation at the end of the match. But Oklahoma City learns quickly, and quickly progressed.
Presentation of the Indiana Pacers
Holders: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner
Substitutes: TJ McConnell, Obi Toppin, Benédict Mathurin, Ben Sheppard, Thomas Bryant, Johnny Murphy, Tony Bradley, James Johnson, Isaiah Jackson
Absent : Jarace Walker
Coach: Rick Carlisle
“We do not necessarily respect them before the start of the series, and then they surprise you, they lead 3-1 and they finish work in five games.” Bobby Portis may have summarized the general feeling of the east opponents about the Pacers, who therefore triumphed by Bucks (4-1) then horsemen (4-1) and finally Knicks (4-2) to climb in the finals. Even if Tyrese Haliburton has proven that he was very far from being the most over -contained player in NBA, and that Pascal Siakam is an extremely difficult player to read and control, the success of Indiana still surprises, just like their ability to overthrow situations that seem lost in the last minutes …
“It is a team from the East who plays like a western team” continued Bobby Portis. It is in any case a team that exhausts its opponents with its all-terrain pressure, its wide rotation and its offensive game patterns which oblige to cover a lot of land, and to multiply the efforts. Again, and again, and again.
Strengths
– A rhythm that is difficult to hold. The Pacers are the team that makes the ball move the most, and whose players are moving the most, this season. Kenny Atkinson had notably praised the way Indiana managed to exhaust his opponents (which also helped them to overthrow situations at the end of the match) by imposing a rhythm very difficult to follow. “I have stats and videos, and they are at the top in the field, and above all they can hold” explained the Cavs coach. “I really take my hat off to them, to be able to maintain this type of intensity for so long.” The players of Rick Carlisle have a trunk, and that the wide rotation allows them to maintain pressure throughout the game. Especially with a defense often on all-terrain.
– A status of outsider that suits them so well. Tyrese Haliburton repeated it: these pacers are never as strong as when you don't believe in them. The leader and his teammates love to give the criticism wrong. Faced with Thunder, author of a historic and largely favorite season in these 2025 finals, they are therefore in the ideal position for them. They have nothing to lose because everyone expects (still) to see them stumble. What to achieve the ultimate feat?
Weak points
– Attackable links in defense. The Pacers have made great progress in defense in recent months, and their general activity allows them to compensate for a lot. But Indiana remains much less solid than Whitohoma City in the field, the Nembhard/Nesmith pair in front of many to work to control the opposing scorers, even if it means taking a lot of mistakes. Tyrese Haliburton may thus be targeted by the Thunder, while Myles Turner could find it difficult to control the racket, where he remains enormously during these playoffs (It “switches” only on 12% of screensthe lowest rate of this postseason) if Oklahoma City plays offshore…
– Supergime shooters? To win, the Pacers will have to limit the loss of ball and win the battle of the 3-point, as they have done since the start of the playoffs … thanks to much more skateful shooters than in regular season. Aaron Nesmith (50%at 3-PTS), Andrew Nembhard (48%) and Pascal Siakam (46%) are thus on fire from afar. It remains to be seen if it can continue long enough to win four additional games.
The keys to the series
– The battle for ball losses. It is in this area that White Waking City is killing his opponents this season. We know that the aggressiveness of the Thunder will provoke “turnovers” and generate fast game, with waves that are linked. If the Pacers leave too many ammunition in this area, they have no chance in this series. Tyrese Haliburton and his teammates will therefore have to limit their ball losses. It will be difficult to win the battle, but you must prevent the imbalance from being too strong. The good news for Rick Carlisle is that his playmaker is a player who loses few balloons, and that will have to continue.
-3-point address. We have already talked about it, but Indianapolis shooters must continue to be efficient and effective behind the 3-point line. Especially since those of Thunder lost in efficiency during these playoffs, especially outside. If Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner continue to garner external successes, the Pacers will be able to doubt Oklahoma City.
– The management of tight matches. The Thunder suffered in the start of the series against the Nuggets in the “money-time”, before being stronger later, but Oklahoma City tended to bet everything on the individual exploits of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander when the score was tight. And faced with Pacers who have overturned a lot of complicated situations, and therefore the offensive game is based on a lot of players, the balance of power in the “clutch” will be decisive. Especially since it builds confidence … and destroys that of the opponent.
Regular season
Oklahoma City, 2-0
-December 26: Indiana-Oklahoma City (114-120)
-March 29: Oklahoma City-Indiana (132-111)
VERDICT
Admittedly, the Pacers have thwarted all the forecasts so far, in particular by offering themselves the scalp of the riders, but it is difficult to come and see them at the end of this team from the Thunder.
Tyrese Haliburton and his teammates came out of the east by playing “like a western team”, as Bobby Portis said, surprising his opponents by his very high pace and constantly pressing the good attacks in attack. The problem is to know what buttons they will be able to press in front of this Thunder, which has no defensively flaw and which can also rely on a wide and young rotation?
Intratable at home, full and perfectly healthy, Oklahoma City seems to have too much margin to let these finals spin 2025. Even if it is the ideal position for Indiana, in order to create the surprise …
CALENDAR
Game 1: in Oklahoma City, Thursday June 5 (02:30 am, on the night of Thursday to Friday)
Game 2: In Oklahoma City, Sunday June 8 (02:00, on the night of Sunday to Monday)
Game 3: in Indiana, Wednesday June 11 (02:30 am, on the night of Wednesday to Thursday)
Game 4: in Indiana, Friday June 13 (02:30 am, on the night from Friday to Saturday)
Game 5*: in Oklahoma City, Monday June 16 (02:30 am, on the night of Monday to Tuesday)
Game 6*: in Indiana, Thursday June 19 (02:30 am, on the night of Thursday to Friday)
Game 7*: in Oklahoma City, Sunday June 22 (02:00 am, on the night of Sunday to Monday)
