Have you watched OKC Thunder play defense? There's your 2025 NBA champion.

[sealybobo]

If Indiana wins it all, then it will be an incredible season and incredible playoff run.

Oh absolutely. I'll be happy for either team. First time for either SGA or Haloburton.

During the warmups and throughout the first half it just felt like SGA was on his way to winning his first of many NBA championships. I went to bed. Missed a good one!

I love the Playoffs. It's where NBA players make a name for themselves. I don't care what they do in the regular season.

 

[sealybobo]

One of the youngest teams in NBA history to get to the finals. They have every chance to become a GOAT level team. SGA is so methodical, it's like he gets a quiet 30 points almost every night.

OMG I might be wrong again. I said clearly OKC was going to win it all. LOL. What the hell do I know?

 

[sealybobo]

96 Bulls -950
99 Spurs -900
2000 LAL -800
2001 LAL -2000
2002 LAL -750
2018 GSW -1075
2025 OKC -700

Every -700 or above favorite on this list won the championship, except the Thunder.

2004 LAL -700 lost to the Pistons, and it only went 5 games. I think they were tired of being in the Finals.

No LA was not tired of being in the finals. For many of the Lakers it was to be their last chance to win a Championship. Karl Malone, Gary Payton and Bryon Russell. Kobe and Shaq fucked them.

We had a very deep bench besides this starting 5 Ben and Rasheed Wallace, Billups, Prince and Rip Hamilton

 

[MarathonMike]

96 Bulls -950
99 Spurs -900
2000 LAL -800
2001 LAL -2000
2002 LAL -750
2018 GSW -1075
2025 OKC -700

Every -700 or above favorite on this list won the championship, except the Thunder.

2004 LAL -700 lost to the Pistons, and it only went 5 games. I think they were tired of being in the Finals.

Interesting. I just saw that the Pacers outrebounded OKC by 17! We know they can shoot it but that is shocking.

 

[odanny]

I want to see the Pacers win it all. All the experts are saying this is a one off, that OKC will still close out the series, but there is a chance for Indy, they just know how to win close games. 3 more to go.

 

[MarathonMike]

OMG I might be wrong again. I said clearly OKC was going to win it all. LOL. What the hell do I know?

I wouldn't jump ship just yet. Same thing happened against the Nuggets.

 

[stockhome]

Oh absolutely. I'll be happy for either team. First time for either SGA or Haloburton.

During the warmups and throughout the first half it just felt like SGA was on his way to winning his first of many NBA championships. I went to bed. Missed a good one!

I love the Playoffs. It's where NBA players make a name for themselves. I don't care what they do in the regular season.

Oh, I know that happens, especially in baseball. I have heard a number of stories about people driving back to the ballpark because the game became close.

I have a hard time watching the NBA because the coverage is just awful. There is some colored woman doing courtside reporting. She sucks big time. She doesn't know anything about the game, and just utters a bunch of contrivances.

 

[Cassandro]

Game One looked like playground jungle ball. The NBA is going down the tubes.

 

[MarathonMike]

Game One looked like playground jungle ball. The NBA is going down the tubes.

The refs do appear to have swallowed their whistles.

 

[sealybobo]

I wouldn't jump ship just yet. Same thing happened against the Nuggets.

Everything tells me OKC is going to win the next 4 games. I'm just hoping the Pacers prove me wrong. If OKC wins tonight, it's going to feel like OKC is going to win, and that's a lot less exciting for me because we all think they are going to win. So that's boring. Indiana winning it all will be shocking. I want SHOCKING. So I hope Indiana wins again tonight but I can't see that happening. But if they do, then all they have to win at home is 1 and for sure they will win it all. No one has ever come back down 3 to 1.

What will probably happen is they will be 2 wins a piece after 4 games. OKC will get home court back. So Indiana either needs to win both their games at home or tonight.

You know who I'm happy for? Haloburton. I know his dad was a dick to Gianni after they knocked out the Bucks but he's happy for his son. Then his son does what he did to the Knicks? Now he did it to OKC? It's storybook. Haloburton deserves to win a ******* championship. Plus he shows up to WWE events so I like him for that.

 

[MarathonMike]

OKC taking 4 straight from the Pacers is possible especially given how well they challenged the Pacers 3 point shots. Tyrese has to change what he normally likes to do whereas SGA just has to bring his lunch pail and get his ho-hum 32 points. Pacers probably win one more game somewhere.

 

[sealybobo]

OKC taking 4 straight from the Pacers is possible especially given how well they challenged the Pacers 3 point shots. Tyrese has to change what he normally likes to do whereas SGA just has to bring his lunch pail and get his ho-hum 32 points. Pacers probably win one more game somewhere.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say any of these things is possible.

Pacers up 3 to 1 after the next two. Possible.

Series is tied after 4.

No one thinks OKC is going to win the next two in Indiana. Not with the momentum Indiana is on. Not at home. Sorry but don't forget, OKC right now has lost home court advantage. Don't act all cocky because you won 1 game. You were supposed to win 2!!!

 

[MarathonMike]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say any of these things is possible.

Pacers up 3 to 1 after the next two. Possible.

Series is tied after 4.

No one thinks OKC is going to win the next two in Indiana. Not with the momentum Indiana is on. Not at home. Sorry but don't forget, OKC right now has lost home court advantage. Don't act all cocky because you won 1 game. You were supposed to win 2!!!

Who's cocky? OKC is just the better team. In the first 2 games the Pacers led for a total of 3 minutes out of 96.

 

[sealybobo]

Who's cocky? OKC is just the better team. In the first 2 games the Pacers led for a total of 3 minutes out of 96.

Clearly they are the better team. But not by much.

Sometimes that doesn't matter. The better team chokes. Hard to say who chokes and who just gets beat by a better team. Did Gianni choke the last two years? Did Boston choke this year? Did Denver choke the last 2 years?

And Indiana is playing better than they are. Playing their best basketball right now.

Right now OKC has lost home court advantage. Stay tuned.

 

[MarathonMike]

Clearly they are the better team. But not by much.

Sometimes that doesn't matter. The better team chokes. Hard to say who chokes and who just gets beat by a better team. Did Gianni choke the last two years? Did Boston choke this year? Did Denver choke the last 2 years?

And Indiana is playing better than they are. Playing their best basketball right now.

Right now OKC has lost home court advantage. Stay tuned.

If Tyrese can adapt, then it might go 7 games. If not it's over sooner. The Pacers are in the finals because they shot lights out when it mattered most. OKC is in the finals because they have an all-time great defense.

 

[sealybobo]

If Tyrese can adapt, then it might go 7 games. If not it's over sooner. The Pacers are in the finals because they shot lights out when it mattered most. OKC is in the finals because they have an all-time great defense.

Agree. And OKC is also a pretty great offensive team too.

Still hoping the Cinderella team beats the top team. We see it's possible. Not probable though but neither was that game 1 comeback.

If the Pacers win the next 2 at home boy will that change your position huh? Might be a lot different playing away.

 

[MarathonMike]

Agree. And OKC is also a pretty great offensive team too.

Still hoping the Cinderella team beats the top team. We see it's possible. Not probable though but neither was that game 1 comeback.

If the Pacers win the next 2 at home boy will that change your position huh? Might be a lot different playing away.

OKC is 4-3 on the road in these playoffs. Defense travels even when offense doesn't. I don't see the Pacers taking both games. Is Halliburton too skinny? He's 6' 5 and 180. Maybe that's why he always passes the ball back out when he penetrates the lane.

 

[odanny]

Damn, the team that wins game 3 wins the Finals 81% of the time.

This series is far from over, but now Indy has the odds in its favor. OKC has only won one game 3 in the playoffs, and they had to come from way down to beat Memphis.

 

[MarathonMike]

Mathurin won the game for the Pacers. No one saw him going for 27! OKC should still even it up in the next game.

 

[sealybobo]

OKC is 4-3 on the road in these playoffs. Defense travels even when offense doesn't. I don't see the Pacers taking both games. Is Halliburton too skinny? He's 6' 5 and 180. Maybe that's why he always passes the ball back out when he penetrates the lane.

Haloburton is great. Reminds me of Reggie Miller. Boy now I'm really rooting for the Pacers. Now I'm starting to think maybe they can pull this off.

Can we agree the next game seems like a must win for both teams? I would not want to even up the series and give OKC back home court advantage.