Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Shares Thoughts on Indiana Pacers Ahead of NBA Finals
Ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander offered his perspective on the Pacers’ performance.
SGA on the Pacers: “I don’t think they’ve changed much. They were a really good team back then. They were on a roll back then. They’re on a roll now. Since January, us and them have the best records in the NBA.” pic.twitter.com/9CfsnK5vhx
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) June 2, 2025
Gilgeous-Alexander (via Clemente Almanza of OKC Thunder Wire) said, “I don’t think they’ve changed much. They were a really good team back then. They were on a roll back then… They’re on a roll now… Since January, us and them have the best records in the NBA. They’ve been playing good basketball… They’re gonna be a tough opponent regardless.”
NBA Finals stat comparison:
Fast break points/pg
OKC: 17.8 (1st in 2025 Playoffs)
IND: 15.5 (3rd)Opp. fast break points/pg
OKC: 9.3 (1st)
IND: 9.4 (2nd)Points off turnovers/pg
OKC: 23.8 (1st)
IND: 18.5 (2nd)Opp. points off turnovers/pg
OKC: 12.6 (2nd)
IND: 12.5 (1st) pic.twitter.com/ss1BqmS2CY— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) June 2, 2025
While the Thunder defeated the Pacers in both of their regular season matchups, Gilgeous-Alexander respects their strong play heading into the Finals.
NBA Finals Stat Comparison (via Underdog NBA):
-
Fast break points per game:
OKC: 17.8 (1st in 2025 Playoffs)
IND: 15.5 (3rd) -
Opponent fast break points per game:
OKC: 9.3 (1st)
IND: 9.4 (2nd) -
Points off turnovers per game:
OKC: 23.8 (1st)
IND: 18.5 (2nd) -
Opponent points off turnovers per game:
OKC: 12.6 (2nd)
IND: 12.5 (1st)
The Pacers’ journey to the Finals has been a surprising one, marking their first Finals appearance since 2000, when Hall of Famer Reggie Miller was still on the team.
Brandon Rahbar of Daily Thunder added, “Don’t care what anyone says… Thunder vs Pacers is a great NBA Finals. OKC has had one of the most dominant regular seasons and playoff runs in NBA history. Indy rolled through the Bucks, the 64-win Cavs, and a Knicks team that upset the Celtics. These teams deserve to be here.”
Leave a Reply