by: Skylar Barrons
The 2025 NBA Finals have been nothing short of amusing, and entertaining. However, with the Thunder now being only one win away from bringing home their 1st World Championship in franchise history, fans anticipate even more buckets, skill and excitement.
The series has been jaw dropping since Game 1. In a high suspense, tight scoring game of 111-110, the Pacers were able to pull through and secure the 1-0 series lead. Tyrese Haliburton (14 points) sunk a game winning shot, which stole the win from the Thunder. Haliburton explains that “It doesn’t matter how you get ’em, just get ’em” referring to numbers and statistics. The Thunder quickly responded with a strong Game 2 as they dominated the court with a score of 123-107, tying the series at 1-1. Oklahoma City guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, led the game, scoring 34 points. Like a game of ping pong, the back-and-forth winning pattern continued in Game 3 as Indiana took control. When analyzing each team’s number of blocks, and steals, it is clear that being commanding on defense and minimizing turnovers secured the Pacers’ 116-107 victory.
The Thunder began to pick up steam at what seems to be the perfect time. In back-to-back wins, the Thunder evened up the series. Each quarter in Game 4 was drastically close with both teams putting up similar amounts of points on the scoreboard. However, SGA led the Thunder in scoring once again with 35 points and he scored 15 of those points in the 4th quarter. Alexander alone nearly outscored the Pacers in the 4th quarter as they only put up 17 points total. Game 5 was once again controlled by the Thunder. Statistically, Game 5 was close, but once again, OKC managed to come out on top, winning 120-109. Small forward, Jalen Williams obtained a career high of 40 points, as he led his team in scoring. Moreover, Turnovers were a major factor in Indiana’s downfall as they had 22 while OKC only had 11.
PREDICTION
Do you think OKC has what it takes to close out the series Thursday night on the road? I believe so, as long as they continue to be strong on offense and powerful on defense. Haliburton is a game decision with a calf injury. I think the score may be 121-117. (SGA MVP).
@SKYLARBARRONS_
