NBA finals: Indiana Pacers players to watch out for vs Oklahoma City Thunder
The Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder are set to compete in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Thursday (June 5) at Oklahoma's Paycom Center. Though tagged as the underdogs of this season, the Pacers defeated the New York Knicks in an impressive feat by winning all six games against them in the Eastern Conference finals. The final is bound to be a compelling watch for more than just the riff-off between two smaller teams; it's about what every player brings to the table as well.
Talking about point guards, the competition between Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder is bound to provide an interesting match. Given his emphasis on passing rather than scoring fast, Haliburton commands an 18.8 points average, 9.8 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.4 steals, and shoots 46.6% from the field in the playoffs.
Given the team's passion for forcing pace, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith are bound to act as Alexander's defenders, sometimes even granting him full-court opportunities. Coming off being voted the most overrated player in the league, Haliburton's performance in the Eastern Conference proved the contrary.
Pascal Siakam's passion for offensive, as well as defensive play, comes from years of climbing up the ranks of mid-majors to reach the NBA. Having originally played at New Mexico State, Siakam was named the Eastern Conference finals MVP and is a crucial part of the tag team formed by him and Haliburton to bear the team's sole responsibility of scoring points.
Nebhard can also play a significant role in the match by sliding over Aaron Nesmith if he were to land in trouble, and may even get to play primary defender against Alexander before adjustments are made. The fact that all five of Indiana's stars average double-digit points, making it the third-highest-scoring bench unit in the postseason, proves their ability to hold their ground in the Finals. But this strategy requires guys like Aaron Nesmith, Nebhard, and Miles Turner to play their game and play it well. Bennedict Mathurin, for instance, will need to up his defenses and refrain from mistakes or forced shots when on the floor.
The match will be broadcast on ABC and ESPN+ at 8:30 PM ET.
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