The oddsmakers and bettors don’t believe the Pacers have much of a chance in the Finals against the Thunder. At BetMGM, the Pacers have +500 odds to win the championship, making them the biggest underdogs in the NBA Finals since the Cavaliers in 2018, Prince J. Grimes of the Indianapolis Star notes. The Warriors won those Finals in a sweep.
In fact, the oddsmakers believe it will be a quick series. The betting favorite for the length of the series is a 4-1 Thunder victory. Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the huge favorite to win Finals MVP at -625 odds with Tyrese Haliburton a distant second at +700.
We have more on the Pacers:
- Pascal Siakam has developed into the ideal second star for the Pacers, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Koreen outlines how Siakam has expanded his game over the years, both before and since the trade that sent him from Toronto to Indiana. Siakam, named the Most Valuable Player of the Eastern Conference Finals, is averaging 21.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting a blistering 46.3 percent from long range in 16 postseason games.
- Siakam was instrumental in the team’s turnaround from a 10-15 start, particularly by offering words of encouragement to Haliburton, who was struggling with his shooting at the time, as Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star details. Ramping up their pressure defense and inserting Aaron Nesmith into the starting lineup were some of the other keys to the Pacers’ dramatic rise to the top of the Eastern Conference.
- Myles Turner believes the era of the “super team,” with established All-Stars banding together to win the championship, has ended. “I think it’s a new blueprint for the league,” Turner said, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “I think the years of the super teams and stacking, it’s just not as effective as it once was, you know what I mean? Since I’ve been in the league, the NBA has been very trendy; it just shifts. But the new trend now is just kind of what we’re doing. OKC does the same thing — young guys get out and run, defend and use the power of friendship.”
Level 1 teams
Thunder
Celtics
Nuggets
Clippers
Pacers
Cavs
Level 2
Wolves
Warriors
Knicks
Injury Nuggets take Thunder to Game 7
Nuggets are lucky to defeat Clippers
Power of friendship lol. That’s a good quote.
It’s why I get mad when people try and say their fave team is going to get Myles, there’s zero chance he leaves the Pacers. Don’t waste your time talking about Myles Turner leaving the Pacers, move on. Not happening.
Siakim might have a harder time with Chet on him. He’s more mobile, longer and better defensively than what he’s had to face. Hartenstein will be to overpowering for Turner but his 3 ball could cause problems.
The defence match ups will be fun, pacers are playing full pressure which is what OKC has done most of the season but I rate Dort, Wallace, JDub and them more so than the pacers guys. SGA is also a downhill guy and full pressure will mean beat your man and run it home.
It all really depends on the Pacers defense and not them blowing any huge leads or going up a couple games then playing like total garbage for no reason. The mental is their only obstacle. Hali addressed it, he saw it and said he was embarrassed he was playing with no urgency in the playoffs. OKC has also shown they are mentally prone to lapses too, I mean it’s the playoffs, it makes sense, all the games are elevated.
I truly love this matchup, it honestly could go in any direction, a sweep either way, or 7 games either way and everything in between. Pacers are the best team since Jan 1 and have the aura, but OKC are also incredibly good.
0% chance the pacers sweep the Thunder barring some massive injury(s). All the other scenarios..sure
Agree with a lot of what you’re saying.
Feel like Indy have really copied the OKC blueprint for depth, defence, attitude and everything. I had written off Indy against the Knicks but that was a mistake hahah so I won’t be doing that.
I think OKC in 6
I think Pacers in 7 would have the highest entertainment value. It would also mean either Siakam and/or Hali will jump up a whole bunch of spots on everyone’s current top 20 lists.
Siakam has battled giannis, Evan Mobley and kat so far. Not exactly chopped liver
2022 Warriors team was literally Curry and scrubs. GP2 was 2nd highest VORP.
2023 Nuggets had Aaron Gordon as its 2nd highest VORP.
2024 Celtics were a superteam, with 5 elite players having elite seasons
It’s not really an “era” because only the KD Warriors and the Celtics won with it. Funny thing though, is that if GSW can pull off a KD-Jimmy 1-1 trade, then move everyone possible for Giannis (or even not, and just do the KD 1-1), then KD could make this happen again. So Myles is wrong. Its also a silly thing to try and predict in any meaningful way.
what an absolute load of horse s#!t. Siakim has developed into a 2nd star? that might just be.the dumbest take I’ve ever read since joining Trade Rumors 12 years ago. Pascal Siakim has been a star….on a championship team I might add for close to a decade. sure Leonard may have been the number one option but Siakim was the star in Toronto for a decade and was still a star when Indy was lucky enough to trade for him. He didn’t develop into anything in Indy….he already WAS!!!!
Tbh hoopsrumors are somewhere near the Bottom of the barrel when it comes to insight, articles and facts checking.. Been getting worse over the past few years as well 😅
Naw. I need to defend this website. All the people with their dumb insight is the problem. I have only seen maybe 15 people on this site who know a little bit about basketball
You are wrong to be mad about it but your take is correct: that’s because Siakam has legit BEEN the most underrated player in the league. It’s time for him to start hitting everyone’s “top 20 best players in the NBA” lists. It’s been wrong of us not to! He BEEN a star!
If Pacers can handle SGA. Keep him normal with multiple defenders. Then they have a shot.
Siakam also has to play big.