The scene is set for the 2025 NBA Finals as the Indiana Pacers will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. With a few days left before Game 1, NBA legend Charles Barkley made his prediction for the Finals while speaking on the “Dan Patrick Show” recently. He said:
“I think they [Pacers] can make it competitive. I’ve been saying it for a month, nobody can beat that team [OKC] four times in a week. The Pacers have got a good team. But OKC, they’re one of the best teams I’ve seen in a long time. They might be the deepest NBA team I’ve ever seen.”
Barkley pointed to OKC’s ability to place players in games even when they weren’t part of the rotation previously, praising their depth and versatility. “That’s going to really negate the Pacers’ bench, which helped them beat the Knicks,” he added. “The Thunder, they’re bringing better players off the bench than the Pacers.”
“Pacers have got a terrific bench, but Oklahoma City got better bench players.”
Barkley concluded by saying, “I hope it’s a good series. But I don’t think anybody can beat OKC four times in a week.”
The matchup between the two teams certainly promises to be an exciting one. Both teams have had Finals appearances, but have never won. With an opportunity to bring the first title to their respective franchises, it is safe to say that the series will be a battle.
The Thunder are led by the league’s MVP and WCF MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 26-year-old has been nothing short of spectacular during this playoff run.
His ability to carry OKC’s offense on his back and facilitate easier scoring opportunities makes him vital to their schemes. Closely supported by his All-Defensive running mate Jalen Williams, the Thunder backcourt makes for an impressive star duo.
While OKC’s backcourt is impressive enough, their frontcourt features immensely gifted players such as Lu Dort and Chet Holmgren, who routinely make essential contributions to the team’s success. Pair this with an unrivaled bench mob, and Sam Presti’s experiment yields one of the most successful roster constructions in recent history.
While the Thunder are impressive in their own right, the Pacers don’t pale in comparison. Led by an inspiring young talent in Tyrese Haliburton and the ECF MVP Pascal Siakam, Indiana is an unpredictable force capable of overcoming even the most unlikely of situations.
The Pacers’ run in the postseason has displayed the team’s unyielding tenacity, especially when the chips are down. With their backs against the wall, the team has shown a capacity to conjure miracles, especially Haliburton, who has surely silenced a lot of naysayers during this run.
A decisive ECF victory against Indiana sees the team in the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years. On the verge of etching their names in the history books, this Pacers team is bound to come out all guns blazing.
The NBA Finals will feature two young teams that play an exciting brand of basketball. They will engage in their first matchup on Thursday, June 5th, at 8:30 pm ET.
