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The Indiana Pacers are facing long odds once more in their quest to win the 2025 NBA Finals. The journey keeps on getting tougher and tougher for this Pacers squad, as they will be facing an Oklahoma City Thunder squad that's won 80 games thus far this season, regular season and playoffs combined.
This Thunder squad has long been touted as the heavy championship favorite for a reason; their defense is historically great, especially at forcing turnovers, and they have swallowed whole teams that rely on dribble penetration to create offense. The Pacers are one such team; powered by the pick-and-roll prowess of Tyrese Haliburton, they rely so much on maneuvering from the perimeter to the paint to generate buckets.
One would think that this might spell doom for the Pacers. However, they did not make it this far by being mere pushovers. They were the underdog against the Cleveland Cavaliers and yet they handled them quite easily, winning the series 4-1 in the end. They were also seen as the inferior team in the Eastern Conference Finals, but they ended up taking care of the New York Knicks in six games.
It might be unlikely for the Pacers to defeat the powerhouse that is the Thunder, but here are a few reasons as to why they cannot be counted out whatsoever in the 2025 NBA Finals.
Pacers are this year's team of destiny
This might be straying too far into the abstract; if quality basketball analysis is what you're looking for, then there are plenty of other articles on this site that will discuss the Xs and Os of the Pacers-Thunder series. Regardless, the narrative is on the Pacers' side, and as the underdog, they will be receiving plenty of support from the millions that comprise the entire NBA fanbase. There's no reason to rag on the Pacers other than the fact that they're from a small-market team, as they play such fun and exciting basketball which makes it hard to root against them.
But the Pacers have that team of destiny feel to them at the moment, as if they've been blessed by the basketball gods for all of their hard work in building a contending team without routinely blowing up the roster and hoping for the best in the draft lottery. This iteration of the Pacers was built off of shrewd moves; only Jarace Walker, Bennedict Mathurin, and Myles Turner were selected by Indiana in the lottery, and the Turner pick was all the way back in 2015.
Haliburton was acquired via the Domantas Sabonis trade. Pascal Siakam, in retrospect, was acquired for peanuts. Andrew Nembhard was selected in the second round and Aaron Nesmith went under the radar as a trade piece in the Malcolm Brogdon trade.
The Pacers built their roster in the most ethical way possible, and they are reaping the rewards. In the clutch, it seems like they turn the user sliders to 100 (shout out to fans of the NBA 2K series) while setting the opponent's to zero.
In Game 5 of the Milwaukee Bucks series, the Pacers managed to overturn a seven-point deficit in the dying embers of the game, scoring eight points in 34 seconds to seal the deal in the series. Game 2 of the Cavs matchup was even more exhilarating; they came back from another seven-point deficit in the final minute or so of the game and punctuated proceedings with a Haliburton stepback triple that gave way to an epic Sam Cassell-inspired celebration.
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As if the Pacers' playoff run couldn't get any more miraculous, Game 1 of the Knicks series proved otherwise rather quickly. Down 15 with three minutes to go, Nesmith went on a three-point barrage, scoring 20 minutes in the final stretch after going 6-6 from deep and 2-2 from the foul line. But they were up against a moving target, which necessitated even more heroics from Haliburton, who drilled a stepback long two that bounced off the back iron and into the net.
Even Cinderella's special night ended when the clock struck 12. The spell wore off and the prince had to search for her around town after that romantic night at the ball, hoping that the glass slipper would fit perfectly into her special woman's foot. For the Pacers, they are hoping to find Cinderella around town now that they have to face the reality that the Thunder aren't quite on the same level as all the other teams that they beat.
But if there's any team that exudes the tireless searching energy that Prince Charming had, it's the Pacers, who will fight for a happily ever after in this year's NBA Finals.
Indiana can keep up with OKC in a track meet
What stands out at first glance of this Pacers squad is just how well-conditioned everybody appears to be. Watching Nembhard hound Jalen Brunson for 94 feet in Game 6 and not relent an inch was a sight to behold. Meanwhile, they run after every possession, with Siakam even capitalizing on a few layups after a made basket by the opponent.
The Thunder have all the youthful verve in the world, and they can play a hounding defense similar to that of the Pacers'. Regardless, Indiana is not the team to be stretched thin by how exhausting OKC makes playing the sport of basketball. They run deep and head coach Rick Carlisle has some magic up his sleeve. Who knew that Tony Bradley, Thomas Bryant, and even Jarace Walker for a second there could play meaningful minutes for Indy in the ECF?
Tyrese Haliburton is the new Point God
Haliburton is a throwback to the old school type of floor general; he executes to perfection and is very unselfish with the basketball. The Pacers star is also one of the most cautious playmakers with the ball; his assist to turnover ratio is elite. He leads the playoffs in assist to turnover ratio (156:31, 5.03) and this is the exact kind of lead guard who can do his damage without floundering against the Thunder's elite defense.
The defense of Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace might be a problem, but the Point God is called as such for a reason, and for the Pacers to defeat the Thunder, he will have to rack up those stellar double-digit/no turnover nights he's become so famous for in recent years.
