Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals short on star power
LOS ANGELES, June 4 (Reuters) - The NBA Finals matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers may be an intriguing one for basketball junkies but could struggle to capture the imagination of a wider audience due to a lack of marquee names.
Anyone who believes the NBA is fixed in favor of LeBron James, Steph Curry and Luka Doncic will struggle to explain how Commissioner Adam Silver failed to engineer any of their teams making it even as far as the conference finals this post-season.
In reality, Silver has pushed for a more level playing field and as a result we get a championship tilt between two small market teams featuring ascending stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder and Pacers' guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Incredible players, no doubt, but not exactly household names - at least not yet.
Potentially making matters worse from a rating standpoint is that the Thunder are heavily favored to win their first title since relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008.
The franchise's lone title came in 1979 when they were the Seattle SuperSonics.
The Thunder won both regular season meetings with the Pacers en route to a sparkling 68-14 record, good for the fifth-most wins in NBA history.
In the playoffs, they swept their first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies, beat the Denver Nuggets in seven games and brushed aside the Minnesota Timberwolves in five contests to reach their first Finals since 2012.
The Thunder have been the best team all season long and there is no reason to believe that has changed.
The Pacers meanwhile were a surprising Eastern Conference champions.
Seeded fourth, they eased past the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers before dispatching a gritty New York Knicks squad in six games to reach their first Finals in a quarter century in their quest for a maiden NBA title.
Both teams like to do their damage in transition and the Pacers will need to limit their turnovers against the opportunistic Thunder defense to have any chance in the series.
Working in their favor is Haliburton, who has been playing with a chip on his shoulder since an anonymous player poll conducted by The Athletic in April named him the most overrated player in the league.
The 25-year-old has been a key part of the team's success in the playoffs while getting key support from one-on-one specialist Pascal Siakam and sharpshooter Aaron Nesmith.
The Thunder meanwhile are a juggernaut with the potential to be a dynasty thanks to league MVP Gilgeous-Alexander - also known as "SGA" - versatile big man Chet Holmgren, explosive guard Jalen Williams, and crafty defender Alex Caruso.
Even if the Finals fail to deliver a compelling series, the NBA can rely on the coming off-season drama to keep fans engaged.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant are among the superstars that could be wearing new jerseys come next season so the action will continue even after one of the teams walks away with the Larry O'Brien trophy.
The best-of-seven Finals tip-off on Thursday in Oklahoma City.
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