Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the NBA match.
Against all pre-game expectations and in spite of in-game adversity, the Indiana Pacers once again defied the odds — and in dramatic fashion. A staggering fourth-quarter comeback from a 15-point deficit, capped off by a game-winning shot from Tyrese Haliburton with just 0.3 seconds left on the clock, stunned the basketball world.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Handling the pressure of the NBA Finals is no easy task — a challenge that also extended to head coach Mark Daigneault, who arguably overcomplicated his rotation strategy. At one stage, the squad had just one big man on the floor, significantly weakening their rebounding presence. The Thunder were out-rebounded 39:56 overall, including a 10:13 deficit on the offensive glass. It’s likely that Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein will play more prominent roles in Game 2, potentially boosting the Oklahoma City Thunder's chances of generating second-chance points.
Indiana Pacers
Facing such a relentless and opportunistic defence, the Indiana Pacers were always expected to commit some turnovers — but their first-half performance was well below par. They set an unwanted NBA Finals record by committing 19 turnovers in the opening half. Since this statistic began being officially recorded in 1997, no team has performed worse in a Finals game. The Oklahoma City Thunder failed to fully exploit this, missing the opportunity to push the lead beyond 30 points during transition play. However, the Indiana Pacers found their offensive rhythm in the second half, shooting 51% from the field, converting 10 of 20 attempts from beyond the arc, and averaging 1.4 points per possession. This will likely serve as the blueprint for their approach in Game 2.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers Prediction
There’s plenty of room for improvement on the offensive end for the Oklahoma City Thunder: Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams combined for just 8 made field goals from 29 attempts. Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers only showed flashes of their trademark tempo and are expected to push the pace more aggressively. Compared to Game 1, the consensus total has slightly dropped from 229.5 to 227.5. This adjustment opens up value in backing the opposite outcome.
