2025 NBA Finals: This is pacers-tander! Here are three things to learn about unexpected matchup

With a blow win against New York Nix in Game 6 of the Finals of the Eastern Conference, Indiana Paers received a berth in the NBA final against Oklahoma City Thunder.

Thunder defeated Minnesota Timberwells in five matches of the Western Conference.

There are three things here to know about the 78th edition of the NBA final …

Shai Gilgius-Alexander vs Tieres Heliberton

Shai Gilges-Alexander MVP of Oklahoma City is the first issue to win as Russell Westbrook won the award for Thunder in 2017. The 6-Foot-6, 200-Pound Gilgus-Figure is a surgical superstar, making its way with its spot, the way contacts. Some people call him a free-thro merchant when he may be the most complete scoring guard since Michael Jordan-at least since Kobe Bryant.

Gilgeous-Aexander took an average of a league-agni 32.7 points per game (on 52/38/90 shooting splights) in the regular season, with 6.4 aids, 5 rebounds, 1.7 stolen and a block added in one night. She is an average of 30–6–7 in the playoffs, the number corresponds to a route only by Jordan, Lebron James and Nicola Jokik in the NBA final.

In the second corner, Indiana’s Tieres is Heliberton, a supreme playwright, which has been good in these playoffs in every way. Their style can be described as chaotic if it was not so mistaken, and pacers have adopted it as a team. The final of the Eastern Conference was a prime example of his 32 points, 15 assistance and zero turnover in the final of the Eastern Conference that he is capable of both as a scorer and facilitator.

Shay Gilgius-Alexander got the best of Tieres Heliberton during the regular season. (AP Photo/Kyle Philips)

(associated Press)

Heliberton blocked a game in 18.6 points (47/39/85), 9.2 aid, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 joint theft and regular sessions. He has increased his production in the playoffs, with an average of 19–6–10, the number has entered the NBA finals in the NBA final by only Joki, Magic Johnson and Bob Cus.

No two players in this postsen are more valuable for their teams, compared to Gilgus-Alexander and Heliberton, and their opposite style will be displayed opposite each other on the NBA final platform.

This did not happen well for Heliberton during a regular season, as Thunder beat the season series 2–0. Gilgus-Alexander dropped him out of 45–4, after Christmas, in his first meeting. It was one of the highest scoring outputs of the SGA season and one of the lowest of Haliberton. Haliberton was included in just 8.3% of Indiana’s scoring opportunities, their lowest use rate in any one game this season. Thunder will force the ball with his hands, similarly it handled only the Anthony Edwards of Minnesota.

Things were not much better for Heliberton in the second meeting at the end of March. Gilgus-Alexander dropped him out in that one, 33–18. This season only once Heliberton had less support than the three that night. Their use rate (17.1%) was again below their season average (21.6%), and whenever their use rate is that less pacers are 7–13 in both regular season and playoffs.

It is important to note that Haliberton rarely defended Gilgus-Alexander and vice versa. According to NBA tracking data, Andrew Nebhard attracted the wholesale wholesale for pacers against the SGA attracted the wholesale of assignment for pacers, who scored 27 points on 11 -for -18 shooting. Thunder scored 124.3 points per 100 property on that period, which is equivalent to the best offense ever.

Indianna’s Crime vs. Oklahoma City Defense

Indiana is known for its fast-paced brand of basketball, which has scored 117 marks per 100 assets in the playoffs, 1.1 points better than Oklahoma City Thunder and the best of any team but 64-winning Cleveland Cavelliers, which the pacers finished, with 4-1-a more effective crime.

Forget for a moment that Oklahoma City played at a fast pace in a regular session and focused on protecting the thunder for a moment. At that end, he placed the best in NBA, up to 104.7 points per 100 assets per 100. The difference between him and the second best rescue was equal to the difference between the second best defense and the eighth best organization. What to say: Thunder is a wagon.

Under the leadership of Haliberton, pacers play fast and efficiently, a deadly combination, which means they rarely turn the ball. During the regular season (13.1%), his turnover was ranked as the third best of the league, only behind Thunder and Boston Celtics, and they are better with the ball in the playoffs.

However, the defense of Oklahoma City has forced more turnover than any other team in NBA, which is in both regular sessions and playoffs. Their pressure is tireless. He won the turnover battle in his two matches against pacers in a regular session, 24–13, excluded him from those turnover, 27–10.

He has a Lu Dort, a member of the all-defensive first team. Kaisan Wallace and Alex Caruso could also crack the roster, if either Oklahoma was the defender of the city’s primary point-to-Hamle. They have Gilgus-Alexander and Jalan Williams, a pair of stars taken for defense. And they have Isaiah Heartenstein and Chet Holmagren, who have two best rim protector of the game. This is the embarrassment of defensive wealth.

This, then, belongs to the time that pacers had 105.7 aggressive ratings, when Haliberton was on the floor against the Thunder in the regular season. If this figure will rank as the worst offerings of NBA on average throughout the season. This season only Heliberton’s crime against only one team was worse, Charlotte Hornets, who snatched to a pair of victory over Indiana – the two worst losses of the season.

Battle of small markets

Some NBA teams are in smaller media markets compared to the thunder of pacers and OKC of Indianapolis. We will hear a lot about this, as we should care about how many people are watching with us.

The television rating will not be a referendum on the popularity of the league. Nor will they do a lot to influence the lower line of the league, as the NBA’s new TV rights package-one 11-year-old, ESPN, NBC and Amazon is set to start a $ 76 billion deal-agale season with ESPN, NBC and Amazon. NBA, for all Hulabalu, fixing.

We should be worried about whether we get to see competitive basketball at the highest level of the league, and this is a chance. Thunder and pacers are two teams that prefer to get up. There will be a lot of crime. A team historically claims great defense, and that is why the Thunder is in favor of winning the series, According to betmgmBut do not consider the people of Indiana’s hard-holds less-Nembhard, Aaron Nemith and Miles Turner between them-or their ability to make it a feudal chain.

We should care about how these teams built sustainable winners in their small markets should be a good thing for diversity among the league contenders. Made from Indiana Beach, the remaining competitive, stacking quality draft pics, tricks on the fringe, and they naked their two big swings, with Haliberton identified as a complementary star as her franchise savior and Pascal Siakam.

Thunder similarly recognized Gilgas-Alexander as the future of his franchise, with him with five first round draft pics in exchange for Paul George. Two of them became Pix Williams, an all-star and Wallace, a rotational mainstay. He tank for two sessions, in the process Holmagraine Landing, Draft Pix, and team president Sam Presty have taken far more good decisions than bad ones.

Passions made from very funny, George Trading. George, who took Paers to the finals of the two Eastern Conference, but never begs Damentas Sabonis, who used to beg Heliberton. All Philadelphia 76rs will have to do to reach the NBA final, then, the trade is George. We are joking, of course.

But the NBA has several routes for the largest platform, even for small markets, and it is a positive.

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