NBA Finals Preview | The Thunder are even more optimistic. Can the Pacers counterattack?

Qilu Evening News·Qilu One Point Feng Zihan

The walkers and generals are eager to "resist the lower side". Xinhua News Agency reported that

at 8:30 on June 6, the 2024-2025 NBA Finals kicked off, and an unprecedented youth storm is about to sweep the arena: the Thunder and the Pacers meet on a narrow road, and both sides want to win the first O'Brien Cup for their city.

From an outside perspective, Thunder is undoubtedly the more favored side. In the regular season, they ranked third in the league in offensive efficiency and first in the league in defensive efficiency, with a net win average of up to 12.9 points, setting a new NBA record. With the title of No. 1 in the West and the impressive data, the Thunder's probability of winning the championship reached 75%.

Pacers should perform much more "low-key". The team averaged only +2.2 points in the regular season. Among the teams that entered the finals since 1960, they were only better than the Rockets in the 1994-1995 season and the Washington Bullets in the 1977-1978 season. At the end of the regular season, the Pacers finally ranked fourth in the Eastern Conference.

What's more exaggerated is that according to statistics, during the regular season this season, the Thunder won 68 wins, the Pacers won 50 wins, and the winning difference was 18 games. This is the biggest regular season win difference in the finals against both sides since 1981.

For the Pacers, this is a counterattack journey and it is not low.

In the two games against the Thunder in the regular season this season, Pacers main player Haliburton averaged only 11 points, 3 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. The reason is that whether it is Dolter, Jaylen Williams, Caruso and Carson Wallace, the defense is hard and fast, which makes Halliburton very uncomfortable.

However, the Pacers also have their own advantages. Their offensive efficiency in the playoffs is as high as 117.7, ranking second in the league. The "running and bombing tactic" of the whole nation has led to five players in the team scoring in double digits per game. Halliburton even staged three finals (draws) in the playoffs. If the Pacers can drag the game to the last moment, they will have a greater chance of winning.