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With match 1 of the 2025 NBA finals between Thunder Oklahoma City and Indiana Pacers scheduled for Thursday at 20:30 pm, we gathered Kurt Helin, Raphielle Johnson and Noah Rubin to break down the important questions and the coincidences to see during the series, as well as their predictions on how they will play the 2025 final of the NBA.
Thunder is as heavy favorites, but we also have some better bets on considering this series.
In a strength battle, the offense of the pacers can break the thunder defense to win this series?
Noah Rubin: Can they? Potentially. Will they do it? I’m not banking. To be clear, this is not a stroke of Indiana’s offense, which has been incredible as Tyrese Haliburton received the keys to the offense. They play team basketball and everyone is a threat. However, this is one of the best defenses in the history of the league. They have multiple guards, multiple forward and several grains that can protect various positions. This is a defense that works and adjusts, and there are no weak links to collect. If anyone can discover it, it will probably be Rick Carlisle and Haliburton, but I don’t think it’s enough to win this series.
Rapielle Johnson: The pacers can break the thunder’s defense, but this will be a challenge unlike anyone who has faced this post -empowerment. In addition to its depth, the thunder, mostly, has seemed very connected at this end of the floor. Luguentz Dort’s physical will be a challenge for Tyrese Haliburton, and then Oklahoma City can call Cason Wallace whenever he needs a break. What I am also looking forward to is how the thunder uses Alex Caruso. In the finals of the conference, they were able to go small for long sections due to their ability to manage various tasks.
Wolf Helin: No, or at least not enough to win the series. The pacers have a great offense and Tyrese Haliburton deserves all the flowers that are achieved in recent days, as well as Indy, he has generally managed the pressure defenses (the game 5 against New York Excluded). It is different with the quality of the defenders that the tro brings. Here is the biggest problem: OKC can be the best defense in the league. The pacers like to force a switch with a high choice in the first offense to get Haliburton to coincide with the guy who wants to attack (Brunson forgiveness) and to achieve rotation defenses when he is down. The thunder, however, can change almost anything 1-5 and does not have a weak defender on the ground, in addition to its rotations are clearer than anyone else.
“If we won a championship … you want to go through the best team, the best challenge,” said Tyrese Haliburton.
What do you consider to be the most critical individual coincidence of this series beyond Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Tyrese Haliburton and why?
Rubin: Jalen Williams vs. Aaron Nesmith. During the regular season, Andrew Nembhard took the SGA game in defense, and Nesmith guarded Williams, who had an excellent series against Minnesota. Williams was not so effective against Denver and the Nuggets could almost win the series. The OKC game fell against the Timberwolves was the worst performance in the Williams series. Alentir SGA is a high task, but if Nesmith is able to remove Williams from the equation, the pacers will have a better opportunity to win this series.
Johnson: Myles Turner vs. Chet Holmgren. The pacers will not win this series without Turner constantly one of the best players on the ground. He was not at the two regular season meetings between these teams, and Holmgren did not play either game due to his fractured hip. Turner contributes a little more power to the table than the slender Holmgren, but does not always bring that physical. He did not have the best end of the conference, but the pacers were good enough in other areas to compensate. They cannot afford Turner to be nothing but Elite if he wins the title.
Get: Luguentz Dort vs. Tyrese Haliburton. What we saw in the game 5 vs. New York is something we saw too much of Haliburton at the beginning of the season, when Indiana started slowly: he put a physical defender, Atlético and denied Haliburton and was too willing to enter a shell and let his teammates play essentially 4-on-4. This did not work, Haliburton increased their aggression in these scenarios, and the pacers did a better job of out -of -ball selections and much more to get the rock haliburton. The balanced offense of the peacers does not work if Haliburton does not drive the orchestra. No one frustrates a guard point, and no one in the league is on top and Dort, and if the Haliburton life is miserable, Indiana will have a miserable and short series.
Both teams built the base of their NBA finals teams to negotiate George.
Who the legacy benefits more than one championship?
Rubin: Pascal Siakam. Three times all-star. Two All-NBA appearances. The most improved player 2018-19. Now, Siakam could add a second ring to his collection, and after winning the MVP prize for the Eastern Conference Final, there is a possibility that they win the final MVP, if they win the series. Currently, the basketball reference has Siakam with a 2.1 percent possibility of making the fame, but will you pay more attention to another ring? I don’t think he did if he retired this summer, but his resume would be strengthened.
Johnson: Sam Presti. It is already considered by many to be the best main executive of the NBA, given what has done to build the thunder in a juggle that is last formed. There is one thing that is missing in its time in Oklahoma City, and this is a championship. While the “legacy” conversation focuses on players and, rightly, the respective rotations are quite young. This does not guarantee more features in a championship, but I do not think that any player has to deal with the talk “inherited” that a LeBron James, for example, after moving to Miami. Therefore, I will go with Pesti as an answer.
Get: Rick Carlisle. This race may have done it anyway. Within the League circles, he was always considered one of the best boys in XS and Os who was all the way back to his time on Chuck Daly’s network staff, but there was a sense among the most casual fans who were a coach who was lucky in a victory of the NBA finals due to Dirk Nowitzki (in the way in which the Frank Vogel title is considered to be many now, And even through documents in this mix). It was never true, and Carlisle ran this team in the finals in a very different style than his previous one shows his versatility and evolution as a coach.
Neither Oklahoma City nor Indiana were chosen to play on Christmas Day, but here they are on the largest stage in the NBA.
Who will win the NBA finals? How many games will take? Who will win MVP?
Rubin: Thunder in five, with SGA taking the honors. If I was very specific with my prediction, it would be for the Thunder to win a game in an explosion, but the rest of the games in this series will be tight. I just don’t think Indiana’s miraculous race results in a championship. SGA will be the best player on the ground, and the thunder is deeper, which says a lot, as the pacers are also a deep team. Indiana can have a slight coaching advantage, but this is a game of two elite coaches. I think this will be a close and exciting series, but I don’t think the pacers will win more than one game.
Johnson: I like the thunder in six games, and Gilgeous-Alexander wins MVP. These have been the two best teams in the NBA since January 1, with Oklahoma City the best throughout the season. They can coincide with Indiana’s strengths and I have my questions about the effectiveness that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams will defend. Indiana will put a great fight and win a few games, but Oklahoma City has been the best team in the NBA throughout the season, and I hope they get the title to back up this statement.
Get: Thunder in five, and if there is a blockade in these finals of the NBA, it would be SGA to win MVP. Indiana has a team built for the modern game and the Fiscal World, a fun style of play with Haliburton out of front, but quality players perfect for their roles such as Siakam, Turner and Nembhard. The problem with the peacers is that they want to play a fast and chaotic game and Oklahoma City does better. Haliburton is bright, but Gilgeous-Alexander is better. Turner has a great playoff race (well timed for a boy who gets a new contract), but Chet Holmgren is better. Indiana’s defense is improved, thunder is suffocating. You have the idea. OKC is just a better version of what has become Indiana.
