Indiana Pacers vs Oklahoma City Thunder
After losing on a game-winner by Tyrese Haliburton in Game 1, the Thunder bounced back in Game 2 to knot the series to one game apiece in the 2025 NBA Finals. They will fly to Indiana to take on the Pacers in Games 3 and 4, which could be the most pivotal games of this best-of-seven series.
Oklahoma City remain the massive favorites to win the NBA championship, though their margin of error has been much smaller since they relinquished their homecourt advantage in the first game. Mark Daigneault’s men must be ready for a raucous crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, starting this Wednesday evening.
On the other hand, the Pacers are keen to maintain their homecourt advantage because doing so will give them a 3-1 series lead, which essentially guarantees them their first-ever NBA title. All signs point to an exciting Game 3, and SBOTOP is here for the preview of this match.
Talking Points
Bad habits continue to haunt the Pacers
After a slow start in the second consecutive game, the Pacers couldn’t pull off another comeback in Game 2 last Sunday.
Tyrese Haliburton may have finished with 17 points, three rebounds, six assists, and two steals on 7-for-13 shooting from the field, but most of his numbers came during garbage time. The 25-year-old guard was limited to three points and three assists on 1-for-5 shooting in the first half. Before hitting the game winner in Game 1, Haliburton only had six points and three assists on 2-for-4 shooting in the first half.
The Pacers only had 41 first-half points, matching their lowest point total in the playoffs, and the team only shot a woeful 35 percent in the first period. If Indiana stand a chance against Oklahoma City, they need Haliburton to set the tone at the start of games.
Co-star Pascal Siakam also had a lackluster performance in Game 2. The one-time NBA champion and reigning Eastern Conference Finals MVP posted 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks, but only went 3-for-11 shooting from the field.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s co-stars step up for the Thunder
The Thunder wouldn’t win Game 2 if it weren’t for some impactful performances of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s co-stars. Jalen Williams had 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists on 5-for-14 shooting from the field, and Chet Holmgren notched 15 points and six rebounds on 6-for-11 shooting after only having six points in Game 1. Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins also deserve plaudits for registering 38 points off the bench combined.
Oklahoma City head coach Mark Daigneault made the bold move of deploying his double-big lineup of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. The two centers played 3:36 to end the first quarter and a minute in the third quarter. The Thunder outscored the Pacers when Holmgren and Hartenstein linked up. The Thunder also did a better job in the rebounding department last Sunday, with a 43-35 edge after getting outrebounded 56-39 in Game 1.
History
With 38 and 34 points in Games 1 and 2, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has compiled the most points by a player in his first two career NBA Finals games (72). He also joined Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, and Shaquille O’Neal as the only MVPs in league history to breach 3,000 points in a season (including playoffs) since the ABA-NBA merger.
Teams that take a 2-1 lead win the series 80.1 percent of the time (480-119). However, even if Oklahoma City does this on Wednesday, they cannot let their guard down because they’re aware of what it’s like to be on the other side. The Thunder are the most recent team to have recovered from a 1-2 series deficit (against Denver in the Western Conference Semifinals).
What are the odds?
The NBA 2025 odds have the Thunder beating the Pacers in Game 3. Oklahoma City are 1.44 favorites in the money line, whereas Indiana aren’t far behind at 2.78. The visitors are also backed in the Asian Handicap market with -6.00 at 2.04 being the highest offer.
The Thunder will likely win Game 3 on the back of their stellar defense. Oklahoma City have also shown in Game 2 that they can produce NBA 2025 highlights with the best of them, making alternatives like Over 227.00 at 1.80, Over 227.50 at 1.88, Over 228.00 at 1.93, and Over 228.50 at 1.98 viable.
On the other hand, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to have another huge outing, while the same can’t be said for Tyrese Haliburton, so you can add Under 52.50 (points) at 1.85 to your parlay.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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