Looking ahead to the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.
The 2025 NBA Finals are just around the corner. On Thursday, Game 1 tips off at the Paycom Center, as the Oklahoma City Thunder look to defend home court against the dangerous Indiana Pacers.
The Thunder are the heavy favorites to win the series, given their depth and All-Star talent, starting with league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
But the Indiana Pacers have been the giant killers of these playoffs, vanquishing the one-seed Cleveland Cavaliers and three-seed New York Knicks despite not having home-court advantage in either series.
With the NBA Finals set to begin soon, we polled all the writers at NBA Analysis to give their picks for the winners and the Finals MVP. Much like the actual series, you might be surprised by some of these picks.
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We posed a simple question to the writing staff at NBA Analysis: Who do you pick to win the 2025 NBA Finals? Many writers backed the Thunder, citing their overwhelming strength on both ends of the court.
Dan Coombs: “I have really enjoyed watching the Pacers in the postseason and believe they are a far tougher matchup for the Thunder than the Knicks would have been.”
“It is going to be a really interesting contrast of styles – but if the Pacers are to stand a chance, they must win one of the early two games in Oklahoma City. I think the series will be competitive, but I can’t see past OKC.”
- Prediction: 4-2 OKC Thunder, Finals MVP – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Aikansh Chaudhary: “Indiana Pacers are on a Cinderella run this season, but the OKC Thunder are the obvious favorites to win it all.”
“2025 MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Alex Caruso will prove too much to handle for the Pacers. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Tyrese Haliburton wins a game or two with his heroics.”
- Prediction: 4-1 OKC Thunder, Finals MVP – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Godwin Mathew: “OKC Thunder have the best defensive rating in the playoffs, and while the Pacers are deep, it is unlikely they can handle what Thunder have in store.”
“Everyone on the Thunder knows their roles, and SGA’s is to get the buckets and frustrate the opposition defense. While his offensive numbers are stellar, it’s his defensive resilience that goes under the radar.”
“Mark Daigneault’s men have proven they can go strength for strength against any team in their league, one of the reasons behind that is their defense. Also, they have an 8-1 record at home in these playoffs, which is impressive.”
- Prediction: 4-1 OKC Thunder, Finals MVP – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Bergas Agung: “The Indiana Pacers have a ton of guys who can move fast enough to create chaos in their offensive sets. They can shoot and attack the rim really well.”
“However, OKC has arguably the best defense this entire season, and they have more reliable scoring options. I‘d like to see 7 games, but I think OKC will finish it in 6.
- Prediction: 4-2 OKC Thunder, Finals MVP – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
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However, not everyone within the NBA Analysis staff believes the Thunder have it easy. In fact, some of us think they don’t have it in them to topple the Pacers.
Aaditya Krishnamurthy: “Most people struggle between picking with their brain or their heart. Luckily for me, both of mine are saying the same thing – it’s Indiana’s time.”
“This franchise has endured so much over the years and always bounced back. Yes, the odds aren’t in their favor, facing an all-time great OKC Thunder side with reigning MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. So what?”
“The Pacers have shown that they’re surprisingly deep, incredibly gritty and can make things very difficult for the Thunder in a way that the latter just hasn’t experienced. Tyrese Haliburton is just that guy. And the Pacers have a complete squad. It won’t be easy, but the Pacers can get it done.”
- Prediction: 4-2 Indiana Pacers, Finals MVP – Tyrese Haliburton
Jonah Kubicek: “While the Oklahoma City Thunder have more stars and are just as deep as the Pacers, they haven’t had to play fast.”
“Sure, they ranked second in pace in the postseason, and the Pacers rank third. But their opponents so far have largely been slower than the Pacers’ opponents. Indiana have proven that they can be speedy on both ends of the ball, and OKC hasn’t. “
“Tyrese Haliburton is a better player than Siakam, but he will likely have one or two games where he doesn’t stuff the stat sheet. Siakam, on the other hand, is more likely to be consistent all series.”
- Prediction: 4-2 Indiana Pacers, Finals MVP – Pascal Siakam
