Interesting game last night. A few thoughts going forward:

65% chance

• This is going to be a tough 6-7 game series that the Thunder will still likely win but Pacers deserve more credit than they were given before it started. Lightning can't keep striking for the Pacers, right?

30% chance

• The Pacers showed the Thunder their tricks last night and now the Thunder will adjust and suffocate them.
• The Bucks, depleted Cavs and Knicks didn't have the ammo to throw a wrench in the Pacers' style the way the Thunder possibly can.
• The Thunder have now lost two "flukey" last minute games at home in the playoffs (the other to Denver), both of which OKC was coming off 8+ days of rest.
• Dub and Chet are prone to bad games here and there but they won't combine to be THAT bad again.
• Thunder shot 45% on their "layups" in g1 haha.

5% chance

• The Pacers are a uniquely bad matchup for OKC and will hold serve at home to win in 6 (or less) with minimal drama.
• The Thunder have a crafty relentlessness/effort advantage against most teams but Indiana has a similar style and doesn't seem phased by OKC in that way. If anything, they bring the "fight" to OKC.
• The Thunder need their easy buckets in transition because their half-court offense is prone to go cold for stretches. Pacers are good at getting back on defense when they turn it over. Despite all the turnovers in the first half last night, the Thunder didn't capitalize on many.
• The Pacers have Haliburton and Siakam, but unlike other teams the Thunder have faced in the playoffs, they aren't really the kind of team where you "just shut those two guys down and they'll stall out" (ie Randle/Ant). They have threats across the board. Guys who are playing with an absurd level of confidence.
• The Pacers really could be a team of destiny akin to the 2019 Nats. The run that they're on is incredible.

Relative to the Denver squad that took OKC to seven, Indiana is a diff type of matchup. Denver with Jokic is like playing a 2010s Bama team running Derrick Henry at you out of the I. You can scheme all you want but it almost comes down more to grit. The Pacers remind me of playing a really good 2000s Leach Texas Tech team that can explode for points but ultimately can be schemed by better teams.

Head Ninja In Charge said:

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Saying this with my whole chest: I hate ABC/ESPN's broadcast approach and style.

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Love Mike Breen as a pbp guy but that crew has negative chemistry. During the 4th quarter i turned it down and just rolled some 80s/90s hip hop (ABC used a lil KRS-One as bumper music and I got inspired) and it was a much better viewing experience.

Game 1 of the Pacers–Thunder NBA Finals averaged a 4.7 rating and 8.91 million viewers on ABC, making it the lowest-rated and least-watched Finals opener since Nielsen tracking began in 1988—excluding the COVID-impacted 2020 and 2021 series, per @paulsen_smw pic.twitter.com/PzHwJOGy9F

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 6, 2025

I know some of this is the market size involved, but some of this is also the Worldwide Leader showcasing a small handful of teams throughout the year, and filling up air space with discussion of Curry, LeBron, the Celtics and the Knicks for the past 5+ years.

It also probably doesn't help that the Thunder have played a lot of non-competitive games these playoffs.

If it goes 6 or 7, TV partners will be happy enough.

Head Ninja In Charge said:

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Saying this with my whole chest: I hate ABC/ESPN's broadcast approach and style.

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As long as we still have Chuck, Kenny, and Ernie, we will be ok

Iowaggie said:

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Game 1 of the Pacers–Thunder NBA Finals averaged a 4.7 rating and 8.91 million viewers on ABC, making it the lowest-rated and least-watched Finals opener since Nielsen tracking began in 1988—excluding the COVID-impacted 2020 and 2021 series, per @paulsen_smw pic.twitter.com/PzHwJOGy9F

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 6, 2025

I know some of this is the market size involved, but some of this is also the Worldwide Leader showcasing a small handful of teams throughout the year, and filling up air space with discussion of Curry, LeBron, the Celtics and the Knicks for the past 5+ years.

It also probably doesn't help that the Thunder have played a lot of non-competitive games these playoffs.

If it goes 6 or 7, TV partners will be happy enough.

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They also aren't marketing it at all. It's like they just didn't even try to market it bc it's a small market matchup. I usually see a ton of nba finals commercials. Can't remember seeing any this year.

Isn't there an Aggie playing in the NBA finals???

TAMUworkingAG said:

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Isn't there an Aggie playing in the NBA finals???

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Alex Caruso. Plus Acie Law is Director of Scouting for the Thunder.

There's pigeons down on Market Square...

NoahAg said:

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I love Caruso but really hope the Pacers pull this off.

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1000%

Pacers are better. Holmgren shoots like a middle school girl, and OKC has to get 40 from SGA every night. Maybe I'm wrong, but once Carlisle unlocks something, his guys will push the advantage until they get it done.

In 2011, it was stopping the live ball turn-overs. This series appears to be about physical attrition.

Something happened last night that I did not expect to see in this series: The Thunder won the three point line and boards... and still lost. Pacers beat them at their own game.

Game 1 could be written off as a weird magic Pacers game but last night was no fluke. Thunder got punched in the mouth and now we get to see what they're made of. They've done it before but Indiana poses some unique challenges relative to Denver.

Agree that the Pacers relentless in-your-face attrition style has the Thunder on their back foot a bit. The Thunder are the team inflicting that sort of play 99% of the time. I think they're kinda still figuring out what to do with a team bringing the fight to them in that way. Especially late in the game when Indiana seems to have an extra gear.

I would def not count the Thunder out though. Last night was a wake up call if there ever was one. Any thought in the back of their mind that they're the "historic" superior team and that Indiana is happy to be there in any way/shape/form should be totally extinguished. This is a war and they need to bring that mentality.

Sitting here today, it feels like the Pacers dominated g3 but it was a see-saw battle most of the way. The Thunder were more impressive in their two home games (outside the last few minutes of g1) than the Pacers were last night. So it's not like the Thunder are THAT far off.

To me, it comes down to a few things:

1) Daig has to manage Shai's usage better. He was dog-tired at the end of the game last night. Nembhard deserves alot of credit. I think they were caught off guard cuz SGA got almost anything he wanted in G2.

2) They HAVE to take care of the ball and win the TO battle. That's the Thunder's whole MO and Indiana stole it in G3.

3) Generally speaking they need to utilize the bench a little bit more throughout the game and keep the starters fresher down the stretch for Indiana's final punch. Kenrich needs a few more minutes and give 20 minutes to whoever has the hot hand between Wiggins/Joe (was perplexed last night when Joe didn't play again after knocking down 2 threes while Wiggins was largely ineffective).

NBA Finals by quarter:

1st: OKC +23
2nd: OKC +3
3rd: OKC +7
4th: IND +27

— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) June 12, 2025

Wild

Deluxe said:

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TAMUworkingAG said:

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Isn't there an Aggie playing in the NBA finals???

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Alex Caruso. Plus Acie Law is Director of Scouting for the Thunder.

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Quenton Jackson is on the Pacers roster. Hasn't seen the court since April 13, though.

challenger21 said:

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Deluxe said:

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TAMUworkingAG said:

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Isn't there an Aggie playing in the NBA finals???

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Alex Caruso. Plus Acie Law is Director of Scouting for the Thunder.

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Quenton Jackson is on the Pacers roster. Hasn't seen the court since April 13, though.

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He's a two-way player. Don't think two-ways play in the playoffs. That's how Caruso started with OKC and the Lakers before getting a full contract from the Lakers

Indiana just kicking OKC's butt. I did not expect that.

LawHall88 said:

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Indiana just kicking OKC's butt. I did not expect that.

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Caruso can't carry all those bums.

Ummm…

Stephen A. Smith locked in for the G̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶4̶ Solitaire action in Indianapolis. #NBA #NBAFinals https://t.co/H8GZzlF8JV

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 14, 2025

SGA with a push off and travel before that shot

LawHall88 said:

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Indiana just kicking OKC's butt. I did not expect that.

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I may have spoken too soon.

ACFresh balled OUT this game
Sparked the comeback

Guitarsoup said:

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superaggie73 said:

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SGA with a push off and travel before that shot

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Several things that were very OKC-favorable in the last 2 minutes.

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You're right. Indiana fouling twice before the ball was inbounded was very favorable. Dort with the steal was very favorable. Hartenstein's put back was very favorable. Having Alex Caruso on the floor was very favorable

G3… never thought I'd see the Thunder lose a game in this series winning the three point line and boards

G4… never thought I'd see the Thunder win a game this series (esp on the road) losing the three point line by 24 points.

It seemed like the Pacers had the Thunder reeling at the end of the third quarter and had multiple chances to tack onto their 10+ lead and really put a dagger in OKC. When the deficit was only 7 at the end of three, it really seemed like the tide turned.

The Pacers love the feeling of playing from behind and they've been wildly successful at it but it was obvious they weren't nearly as comfortable protecting a small lead in "pucker" type of moments.

Kudos to Daig for the adjustments down the stretch. I thought Carlisle had mostly out coached him in G1-3 but Daig had the right recipe on Friday night. They set SGA up to conserve energy and he was outstanding down the stretch. Loved the two man action with SGA/Dub to get SGA some looks on Nesmith late. Also loved the full on switching (even with Chet) on defense. Pacers had been feasting on the Thunder rotations and I thought they got caught off guard.

It's hard not to like OKC to hold serve two games at home, but this has been a great series and def can't count the Pacers out. Excited to see what Carlisle adjusts in G5.

CrawlingNo5 said:

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Guitarsoup said:

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superaggie73 said:

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SGA with a push off and travel before that shot

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Several things that were very OKC-favorable in the last 2 minutes.

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Mathhrin bricking FTs was certainly favorable to OKC

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Benedict Mathurin? More like Benedict Arnold. Dude sabotaged the Pacers down the stretch b/t fouls and missed FTs.

who designed this OKC arena

all of the good seats are aisles or walkways to the locker room

only thing worse is the Alamodump

Have a night Jdub. About to be a rich man.

This has been one of the more enjoyable Finals I've seen since 2016. It's a shame the league has sucked so much energy out of the regular season.

Game 6 getting Buzz Williams level offense from OKC in the 3rd. 6 minutes without a point???