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Zach KramJun 16, 2025, 08:00 AM ET
An unexpectedly competitive, but expectedly entertaining, NBA Finals person transformed from a best-of-seven to a best-of-three, arsenic the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder alternated wins successful the archetypal 4 games.
Recently, they've adjacent alternated winning styles, too. The Thunder led astir of Game 3, but the Pacers surged up with a large 4th quarter, and Oklahoma City pulled the aforesaid comeback instrumentality successful Game 4.
Through 4 games, the 2 teams are separated by conscionable six points, and they could beryllium headed for the archetypal Finals Game 7 since the clash betwixt the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors successful 2016. In beforehand of a pivotal Game 5 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC), present are 7 plays that person defined the tactics and narratives of the 2025 Finals, explaining however the bid reached 2-2 and wherever it mightiness beryllium headed.
Game 3, archetypal quarter: Ben Sheppard steals from Jalen Williams
— Zach Kram (@zachkram) June 16, 2025Let's commencement successful Game 3, erstwhile the Pacers took one of their favourite tactics to the extreme. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's pick-and-rolls person acceptable the signifier for a delightful game-within-a-game successful the Finals. The Pacers harried him successful Game 1, truthful Oklahoma City tweaked its screening tactics successful Game 2, mounting much picks precocious up the tribunal to unfastened abstraction for the league MVP.
Then, Indiana responded, denying Gilgeous-Alexander the ball. If helium doesn't person possession, it doesn't substance wherever the Thunder would similar to surface for him. Through Game 2 of the Finals, Gilgeous-Alexander had brought up the shot connected 61% of the Thunder's possessions erstwhile helium was connected the court, according to an investigation of GeniusIQ tracking data.
But against Indiana's aggravated full-court pressure successful Games 3 and 4, that percent dropped by half, arsenic SGA brought up the shot connected conscionable 30% of the Thunder's possessions successful each game. That's a large alteration of gait for Oklahoma City's offense: Out of 342 games that Gilgeous-Alexander has played implicit the past 5 seasons, these were his second- and third-lowest percentages.
After Indiana's archetypal made changeable of Game 3, Andrew Nembhard denied Gilgeous-Alexander the inbounds pass, preventing him from initiating Oklahoma City's offense. And though that archetypal possession inactive produced a bucket for Williams, SGA ne'er touched the ball.
More often than not, that setup is simply a triumph for Indiana -- similar connected this possession midway done the archetypal 4th of Game 3, erstwhile Oklahoma City's astir talented violative subordinate didn't interaction the shot and an out-of-control Williams committed a turnover.
Overall, the Thunder are averaging 122 points per 100 half-court possessions successful the Finals erstwhile Gilgeous-Alexander brings up the ball, versus conscionable 107 erstwhile he's connected the tribunal but doesn't bring up the ball, per GeniusIQ. That's not the full story.
Not bringing up the shot could assistance Gilgeous-Alexander debar aboriginal fatigue, mounting him up for amended luck successful crunch time, arsenic was the lawsuit successful Game 4. But it helps exemplify wherefore Indiana's middling defence has slowed the Thunder, who had the No. 3 discourtesy successful the regular season.
Game 4, 3rd quarter: OKC commits a changeable timepiece violation
— Zach Kram (@zachkram) June 16, 2025Facing a increasing shortage successful beforehand of a frenzied Pacers crowd, Oklahoma City called a timeout to regroup. But that program failed. After Alex Caruso brought up the shot -- due to the fact that of Nembhard's continued denial of SGA successful the backcourt -- Isaiah Hartenstein's handoff was astir a turnover, past Nembhard stonewalled Gilgeous-Alexander's effort to isolate successful the midrange.
Eventually, with the changeable timepiece winding down, the shot deflected retired of bounds, and aft another deflection of the inbound pass, Indiana forced a violation.
This possession illustrates Oklahoma City's abrupt deficiency of violative flow. It's astonishing however overmuch the Thunder person relied connected pugnacious one-on-one scoring successful this series, arsenic opposed to rhythmic playmaking arsenic a team. The 3 lowest-assist games of Oklahoma City's play are:
Game 4 of the Finals: 11 assists.
Game 1 of the Finals: 13 assists.
Game 3 of the Finals: 16 assists. (The Thunder had much than 16 assists successful each regular-season crippled but Game No. 82, erstwhile they had 16 with each their starters resting.)
That's a monolithic daze to OKC's system, arsenic the squad averaged 27 assists successful the regular play and 25 successful the playoffs until the Finals. In Game 4, Gilgeous-Alexander didn't person an assistance for the archetypal clip successful 5 years.
Game 4, 4th quarter: Aaron Nesmith fouls Gilgeous-Alexander
— Zach Kram (@zachkram) June 16, 2025Though Nesmith was the Pacers' cardinal defender successful the Eastern Conference finals, arsenic helium had the top occurrence guarding Jalen Brunson, Indiana prefers Nembhard to defender Gilgeous-Alexander. Nembhard has matched up against Gilgeous-Alexander connected 187 possessions successful the Finals, per GeniusIQ, versus 119 for the remainder of the Pacers combined.
The results amusement why. Out of 27 defenders who person guarded SGA for astatine slightest 10 matchups this postseason, his 3 highest points-per-matchup figures are against non-Nembhard Pacers: Bennedict Mathurin (0.89 points per matchup), Nesmith (0.73) and Myles Turner (0.73). For comparison, Gilgeous-Alexander has scored lone 0.33 points per matchup against Nembhard.
Gilgeous-Alexander is inactive getting his emblematic stock of points successful the Finals (32.8 points per game, versus 32.7 successful the regular season), but Nembhard is making him enactment a batch harder for them than anyone else.
Those numbers mightiness bespeak a tiny sample, but down the agelong of Game 4, the Thunder geared their discourtesy toward shifting Nesmith onto Gilgeous-Alexander instead. Oklahoma City -- which typically asks its guards to acceptable the astir picks successful the league -- repeatedly sent Gilgeous-Alexander to surface for Williams, who was being guarded by Nesmith, to coax Indiana into a switch.
Gilgeous-Alexander acceptable 5 picks for Williams successful the 4th fourth of Game 4 -- tied for the astir successful immoderate 4th of their careers playing together, per GeniusIQ. The different clip was the 4th fourth of Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks successful past year's playoffs, different must-win crippled for the Thunder. They intelligibly spot this enactment successful hopeless moments.
Against Indiana, those 5 plays produced fantabulous results arsenic the Thunder completed their comeback: a layup, a 3-pointer, 2 shooting fouls (which led to Nesmith fouling out) and an unfastened midrange jumper that helium missed. The Thunder evened the series, and Gilgeous-Alexander scored the astir points successful the past 5 minutes of a Finals crippled (15) since 1971.
Game 1, archetypal quarter: Pascal Siakam makes a layup
— Zach Kram (@zachkram) June 16, 2025Indiana's archetypal made tract extremity of the Finals showcased 1 vantage for the Pacers: Siakam is excessively large and excessively adept astatine finishing to power a defender onto him. Cason Wallace is an fantabulous perimeter defender, but connected this play, helium couldn't connection meaningful absorption arsenic Indiana recognized the mismatch, cleared retired 1 broadside of the tribunal and fto Siakam spell to work.
Siakam, who won a rubric with the 2018-19 Toronto Raptors, leads the Pacers successful the Finals with 18.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, and he's contributing 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks. He's connected gait to go the 12th subordinate this period to mean 18/7/1/1 successful the Finals, joining an elite list: Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan (twice), Dwyane Wade (twice), Kevin Garnett, LeBron James (three times), Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Andrew Wiggins.
But it's Siakam's quality to overwhelm smaller defenders connected the artifact that has had truthful overmuch interaction connected the Finals. It's not conscionable that it allows Siakam to make casual buckets, which are uncommon against this historically large Thunder defense. It's besides that Siakam forced Thunder manager Mark Daigneault to alteration his crippled plan. For Game 4, Daigneault reinserted Hartenstein into the starting lineup, replacing Wallace to springiness the Thunder much size.
The Thunder's double-big lineup opens holes elsewhere, though, due to the fact that it reduces Oklahoma City's velocity connected the level -- which is indispensable erstwhile countering Indiana's high-octane attack. The Pacers are well-rounded capable that they unit trade-offs from their opponents, and Siakam, with his quality to tally the level and powerfulness done defenders astatine the rim, is the epitome of that strength.
Game 4, 3rd quarter: Nembhard makes a 3-pointer
— Zach Kram (@zachkram) June 16, 2025The Thunder allowed the astir country 3s this season, and the Pacers person taken advantage. On this play, immoderate clever Tyrese Haliburton caput and shot fakes created an unfastened look for Nembhard. But NBA teams effort to debar helping disconnected the strong-side country -- due to the fact that this kickout walk would beryllium casual for immoderate guard, fto unsocial the playoff person successful assists per game.
The Thunder are much assertive with this benignant of assistance than different teams. Usually, that's to their payment and they person the unit to marque it work, but Indiana has twisted the Thunder's tendencies against them. The Pacers are 25-for-52 connected country 3s (48%) successful the Finals, versus 27-for-87 (31%) supra the break. Corner shots relationship for astir fractional of their 3-point makes connected lone astir a 3rd of their attempts.
For comparison, Oklahoma City has matched Indiana with 27 above-the-break 3s, but has gone lone 11-for-33 from the corners. That disparity has granted Indiana 14 much 3s overall, oregon 42 other points from beyond the arc.
Indiana's blistery shooting from the corners apt won't regress overmuch arsenic the Finals continue. Throughout the postseason, the Pacers are shooting 47% connected country 3s. That's the champion people for immoderate squad (minimum 100 attempts) since the Phoenix Suns changeable 48% from the corners successful the 2009-10 playoffs.
Game 3, archetypal quarter: Obi Toppin makes a layup
— Zach Kram (@zachkram) June 16, 2025So, if the Pacers are generating immoderate mismatches, adjacent against the Thunder's ferocious defense, and are feasting connected country 3s, past wherefore is Indiana scoring conscionable 109.8 points per 100 possessions successful the Finals, aft topping 116 successful the erstwhile playoff rounds?
This bucket gives a hint. It was the effect of a dynamite play from Haliburton, who intercepted a pass, created a 3-on-2 accelerated interruption and tossed successful a sprinkle of razzle-dazzle arsenic helium went down the backmost successful midair and recovered Toppin cutting to the hoop.
But this series stands out, successful part, due to the fact that of however absent that open-court verve, which defines Indiana's offense, has been successful these Finals.
Over the postseason, the Pacers person scored 127 points per 100 chances successful transition, versus conscionable 102 points per 100 chances successful the fractional court, per GeniusIQ. Among teams that precocious astatine slightest 1 round, lone the Minnesota Timberwolves had a larger gap, truthful it's important for Indiana to run.
That's easier said than done against Oklahoma City. Transition play has accounted for 11% of the Pacers' chances against Oklahoma City, per GeniusIQ, versus 15% successful the archetypal 3 rounds and 16% successful the regular season. Indiana was 1 of the astir predominant modulation teams earlier successful the playoffs but has fallen to the bottommost of that statistic against the Thunder.
Minnesota followed a akin pattern: The Timberwolves had an above-average modulation complaint successful the archetypal 2 rounds, but a specified 11% modulation complaint against the Thunder successful the league finals. That's a large crushed the Timberwolves' discourtesy sputtered and Oklahoma City reached the Finals, and it's wherefore Indiana is struggling to people much than ever.
Game 2, 2nd quarter: Indiana loses the shot retired of bounds
— Zach Kram (@zachkram) June 16, 2025Haliburton doesn't person the estimation of an isolation master, but his numbers archer a antithetic story. Over the past 3 seasons, Haliburton leads each high-volume players with 1.16 points per isolation that leads straight to a shot, turnover oregon foul, per GeniusIQ. (SGA is second, 0.002 points per iso down Haliburton.)
That effectiveness mostly continued done the league finals. But against Oklahoma City, the Pacers person scored conscionable 0.50 points per Haliburton isolation. It's a tiny sample, but an important one, due to the fact that respective of Haliburton's failed isolations came arsenic Indiana's discourtesy stalled down the agelong of Game 4.
On this play from Game 2, Haliburton failed to find an opening against Chet Holmgren successful space, yet forcing a walk that trickled retired of bounds for a turnover. Haliburton has maneuvered past Holmgren for contested layups a mates of times successful the series, but this aboriginal play presaged his trouble attacking immoderate Thunder subordinate by himself.
While Oklahoma City and Indiana boast 2 of the deepest rotations successful the league, this intimately contested Finals mightiness beryllium decided successful crunch clip by Haliburton and Gilgeous-Alexander, and whether they tin bushed their antheral one-on-one. In Game 1, SGA missed a midrange jumper, and Haliburton took vantage with a crippled winner.
In Game 4, Gilgeous-Alexander tormented Nesmith down the agelong portion Haliburton squandered a mates of important isolation opportunities, letting the Thunder backmost into the bid and mounting the signifier for a furious best-of-three to decorativeness the 2024-25 season.
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