Which NBA Finals matchups we're watching the closest in OKC Thunder vs Indiana Pacers

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The 2025 NBA Finals tip off Thursday night with Game 1 between the Pacers and Thunder in Oklahoma City.
Here's what the USA Today Sports Network's two beat writers who cover their respective teams the most — IndyStar's Dustin Dopirak and Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman — view as the biggest matchup to watch in the NBA Finals:
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NBA Finals matchup to watch: Jalen Williams vs Pascal Siakam
So far, Pascal Siakam has been capable of swinging a series to his versatile whims. His crossmatching and lengthy ways proved consistent versus the Knicks, in large part what stuck with the voters who deemed him worthy of East finals MVP. He's a positional problem, able to create off the dribble versus traditional big men and body smaller forwards.
Consider Jalen Williams the mismatch for the mismatch. With a freakishly long wingspan, a stocky torso and his affinity for midrange jumpers, Williams has proved challenging for defenses for much of this run. Not to mention his attributes let him scale up or down to defend anyone from Siakam to Andrew Nembhard to Myles Turner.
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Let the best forward win.
—Joel Lorenzi, The Oklahoman
More: How Chet Holmgren rebounded from hip injury to help power Thunder to NBA Finals
NBA Finals matchup to watch: Luguentz Dort vs. Tyrese Haliburton
The primary problem Tyrese Haliburton has had to find a solution for over the past two seasons has been top-level defenders who face-guard him and devote all of their attention to keeping the ball out of his hands or giving him no space to operate when he gets it. Early in the season he more than once took the approach of simply sitting back, taking a top-level defender out of the equation and allowing his teammates to play 4-on-4, but he's found that more often than not, that leads to defeat. So he and the Pacers have had to scheme ways to peel those defenders off Haliburton with on- or off-ball screening so that he can get the ball going downhill with space to function.
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The best defenders don't make that easy, however, and no one makes it harder than Oklahoma City's Luguentz Dort. Dort was named first-team All-Defense this year and being defended by him is such a harrowing experience that it has earned the nickname "The Dorture Chamber." At 6-4, 220 pounds, he's built like a linebacker and he's one of the league's most physical defenders. That makes him particularly tough on Haliburton, listed at a spindly 6-5, 185. Dort took Haliburton out of the game almost entirely when the teams met on Dec. 26 in Indianapolis and Haliburton scored just four points on 2-of-6 shooting in the Pacers' 120-114 loss. On March 29, the Pacers were more intentional about screening Dort and Haliburton had 18 points, hitting 4-of-9 3-pointers, but he had just three assists and the Pacers lost 132-111. If Haliburton can't get out of Dort's grasp the Pacers are going to have a hard time making the offense work.
— Dustin Dopirak, IndyStar
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All times are Central
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: NBA Finals: Indiana Pacers vs OKC Thunder matchups we're watching most