The Indiana Pacers are not done yet! They stomped the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Six, 108-91, and the Pacers were up by 30 after three quarters. Indiana’s resilience has now forced the two dreaded and most exciting words in sports. Game Seven.
It has been a decent amount of time since the NBA Finals saw a seven-game series. The last one was the iconic series between the Cavs and the Warriors in 2016. LeBron James’s block, Kyrie Irving’s Shot, and Kevin Love’s defensive stop vs Steph Curry led the Cavs to their first Championship in 50 years.
With the last two NBA Finals being a bit of a snooze fest, this is a breath of fresh air. The 2023 and 2024 NBA Finals were both five-game series, and it was evident which team was better. In 2023, it was the Nuggets; in 2024, it was the Celtics.
In 2025, however, OKC has come into these Finals as the superior team, but the Pacers refuse to quit. From coming back down 15 in Game One to Haliburton playing through a lower leg injury in Game Six, the Pacers have shown tremendous heart. Now, both teams have a chance to go and get the job done on June 22!
The Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics, Pacers, and Thunder, over the past two years, have laid a blueprint for what it takes to win future NBA titles. A team with players who know their role, with a deep bench. The days of winning Championships with Big Threes might be in the past now.
The Nuggets have a tremendous player in Nikola Jokic, but the team built around him complements his skills extremely well. Guys like Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Kentavious Caldwell Pope, and Aaron Gordon play their roles extremely well. None of them are all-stars, but they complement each other very well. With Christian Braun, Bruce Brown, and Jeff Green coming off the bench, the second unit was extremely dangerous.
The Celtics had a very deep team. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the charge on the wings, but guys like Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White all played their roles to perfection. Horford and Holiday were defensive anchors, while Porzingis and White were sharpshooters. Players like Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Luke Kornet were also key contributors as this team went 9-10 deep.
It’s well documented how deep the Thunder and the Pacers are, as both teams can play 10 players. The one team that deserves the most credit for this formula is the 2014-2016 Warriors. A team led by 2 guards in Curry and Klay Thompson, with complementary role players. The team had Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut, Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala, Festus Ezili, Shaun Livingston, and Leandro Barbosa as primary contributors. On paper, the team isn’t super talented, but they won 73 games in 2015-2016 because the roster fits and they are deep.
Along with a deep roster and players’ roles that complement one another, each team had a clear identity. The Nuggets had the two-man game between Murray and Jokic that would enable the role players to get involved. The Celtics would shoot a record number of threes on offense and lock down on defense. The Pacers play at a high tempo on offense, no matter whether, make or miss. Finally, the Thunder play through their MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on offense and play swarming defense.
They never waver from what works best for them, and that is what makes them incredibly hard to beat.
The leaders of both teams have a unique opportunity with a win on Sunday. Haliburton, with a win, can be looked at as the greatest Pacer of all time. Neither Paul George nor Reggie Miller, two notable Pacers, were able to accomplish this feat. With Haliburton’s incredible heroics all postseason long, it is not a crazy statement.
The same can be said for SGA. With a win, he would be a Champion, Finals MVP, and an MVP for the Franchise, all in one year. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, notable OKC players, were never able to get over the hump and win a ring. With SGA’s dominance and consistency all season long, there is a great case for him to be the greatest Thunder of All Time.
It doesn’t get better than this. Two Small Market Teams on the Big Stage. Game Seven.
An opportunity for two franchises to accomplish something they’ve never done before in their existence.
Two young stars are getting ready to cement their names in history.
Which team will prevail?
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