Latest news with #KyleTerada
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Thunder's Game 7 win over Pacers most-watched NBA Finals game in 6 years
Jun 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; The Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate after winning game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images If a playoff series produces classic after classic, fans will flock toward it. No better case study in that than the 2025 NBA Finals. After some initial worries that two small markets wouldn't be able to carry the league's main event, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers produced one of the best championship series in recent history. The NBA Finals went the distance. It saw a Game 7 for the first time since 2016. While not as dramatic, the Thunder's 103-91 win over the Pacers attracted eyes from all over the globe to see one of the greatest seasons ever capped off. Advertisement All the crying about small markets doesn't matter to the average basketball fan. Who cares where these teams are located? All that matters is if they can produce high-quality basketball on the court for 48 minutes. Safe to say the Thunder and Pacers did that. And the data backs it up. ESPN announced that the Thunder's Game 7 win over the Pacers was their most-watched NBA Finals game in six years. It averaged 16.4 million viewers with a peak of 19.3 million viewers. A Game 7 by itself is the most attractive watch in the NBA. So much volatility and nerves are built into these do-or-die matchups. Now, inject steroids in the stakes with an NBA Finals Game 7 that has player legacies and franchise histories on the line, you can only imagine how excruciating the wait was for OKC and Indiana. This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Thunder Game 7 win over Pacers most-watched NBA Finals game in 6 years
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pacers fatal flaw that will doom them in NBA Finals Game 7 vs. Thunder
The post Pacers fatal flaw that will doom them in NBA Finals Game 7 vs. Thunder appeared first on ClutchPoints. For the first time in nearly a decade, the NBA Finals will be decided in a Game 7. The Indiana Pacers, riding high after a stunning Game 6 rout of the Oklahoma City Thunder, are just one win away from their first-ever NBA championship. Yet, as the basketball world turns its eyes to Oklahoma City, there's a looming flaw in Indiana's armor, one that could ultimately spell their downfall on the biggest stage. Advertisement The Pacers have proven resilient all postseason, but Game 7 presents a different beast. The Thunder, boasting a 10-2 home record in these playoffs, are heavy favorites, with oddsmakers setting the line at OKC as 7.5 to 8-point favorites. The Paycom Center will be hostile, loud, and unforgiving, a cauldron where the Thunder have thrived and where Indiana's weaknesses are often magnified. Late-Game Execution Under Pressure Kyle Terada-Imagn Images While Indiana's Game 6 performance was a masterclass in defensive intensity and balanced offense, their Achilles' heel has repeatedly surfaced in late-game scenarios, especially on the road. The Pacers have a troubling history this series of faltering in crunch time, most notably in Game 4, where they squandered a four-point lead with three minutes left, succumbing to a 12-1 Thunder run that tied the series. This collapse wasn't an isolated incident; it exposed a pattern of late-game indecision and execution lapses that have haunted Indiana throughout the Finals. Advertisement Game 7s are defined by pressure. Every possession is magnified, and the margin for error disappears. The Thunder, led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, have shown they can seize control in pivotal moments, especially at home. In such a high-stakes environment, Indiana's tendency to deviate from its offensive principles and lose its defensive edge in the clutch could be catastrophic. Indiana's offensive identity is built on ball movement, pace, and attacking the paint. But under the Finals spotlight, the Pacers have strayed from their strengths. In several games, minor mistakes, turnovers, rushed shots, and poor spacing, have snowballed into major problems. In Game 5, for example, a series of small errors and a lack of composure allowed the Thunder to pull away late, despite Indiana's focus on 'the little things'. Turnovers are particularly telling. When the Pacers protect the ball, as in Game 6 (just 10 turnovers), they control the tempo and keep Oklahoma City off balance. But in their losses, careless mistakes have led to fast breaks and easy points for the Thunder, swinging momentum in the blink of an eye. Thunder's Size and Defensive Versatility Another underlying issue is Indiana's struggle against OKC's size and defensive schemes. The Thunder have used their length, especially with Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, to disrupt Indiana's rhythm, dominate the glass, and contest shots at the rim. When the Pacers are forced into a perimeter-oriented attack, their efficiency plummets. During the Finals, Indiana has made significantly fewer two-point field goals than their season average, relying more on threes out of necessity, not preference. This shift has made their offense more predictable and easier to defend. The emotional swings of this series have been dramatic. The Pacers have shown resilience, bouncing back from adversity, but the psychological weight of previous late-game failures lingers. Tyrese Haliburton's health remains a concern, as does the cumulative fatigue of a deep playoff run. In a hostile environment, mental lapses become more likely with the pressure at its peak. Thunder's Home-Court Advantage and Experience Oklahoma City is not just statistically dominant at home, they are battle-tested in high-pressure situations. As seen earlier in the playoffs, the Thunder's ability to regroup after tough losses suggests they will be better prepared for Game 7 than they were for the Game 6 blowout. The Pacers, meanwhile, must overcome both the crowd and their own history of late-game struggles. Advertisement The Pacers have the talent, depth, and heart to compete with the Thunder. But their fatal flaw—late-game execution under pressure, especially away from home—threatens to undermine everything they've built. Unless Indiana can maintain composure, avoid costly turnovers, and stick to their offensive identity in the game's most critical moments, their historic run will end in heartbreak. Game 7s are won by poise, discipline, and execution. The Pacers' inability to consistently deliver in those areas, particularly in enemy territory, is the flaw that could doom them on basketball's grandest stage. Related: Pacers' X-factor that will determine NBA Finals Game 7 vs. Thunder Related: Pacers' TJ McConnell shouts out Tyrese Haliburton for Game 6 performance
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA Finals ratings: Pacers-Thunder thriller posts worst Game 1 numbers since league's COVID-19 downturn
The concerns about the small-market NBA Finals didn't prevent the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder from delivering a classic in Game 1. They do, however, seem to have impacted ratings as expected. Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals averaged a 4.7 rating and 8.91 million viewers on ABC, making it the least-watched Game 1 of the Nielsen meter era (since 1988) outside of the league's COVID-19-fueled ratings nadir in 2020 and 2021, according to Sports Media Watch. Advertisement Those numbers are an 18% ratings decline and 19% viewership decline from last year's NBA Finals opener in which the Boston Celtics faced the Dallas Mavericks. The decline would have been worse had Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers not launched a furious comeback in the final minutes to stun the Thunder. Those numbers seemingly vindicate what many have said about a clash between teams from the 25th and 47th largest markets in the Nielsen rankings, with Oklahoma City's mayor bristling at those concerns ahead of the game. No matter how many people watched, Game 1 of Pacers-Thunder was a fun one. (Photo by Kyle Terada - Pool/Getty Images) (Pool via Getty Images) Of course, it's also important to maintain perspective about how much ratings matter. Sure, the NBA would love if 100% of households were tuning into its signature event, but the league just finalized $76 billion in television deals for the next 11 season. While ratings are down, the league extracts value from many other areas. Your favorite team will be fine. Your favorite player will be fine. Advertisement NBA's PR team also pointed to some positives, such as the broadcast reaching 11 million viewers by the time Haliburton made his game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left, strong viewership among the 18-to-34-year-old demographic and a record number of views on social media. The Pacers' win could aid ratings down the line, as many viewers might not have tuned in due to how lopsided the series was perceived to be. The Thunder opened as a -800 favorite to win their first title in OKC, the best odds since the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors. The Thunder have been so dominant this season that even down 1-0, they are still -350 favorites to win it all. They aren't unstoppable, though, and plenty of fans could be interested in either a comeback or one of the biggest upsets in NBA Finals history.
