With the NBA Finals going the distance and culminating with a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday in Oklahoma City, let’s look at some potential keys for the very last game of the 2024-25 NBA season.
Indiana Pacers
Keep sharing the ball
The Pacers are a dynamic offensive group, and their ability to overwhelm an otherwise elite Thunder defense is more than noteworthy.
How does it work? By not forcing the ball one specific way. Every Pacer who has logged over 100 minutes in these Finals — that’s eight, if you are counting at home — is averaging double-digit scoring, and that’s very much by design.
Head coach Rick Carlisle has every interest in making his offense unpredictable, and with that many players all thoroughly involved in the scoring, that goal has been achieved.
Pascal Siakam of the Indiana Pacers goes to the cup during NBA Finals Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(Anadolu via Getty Images)
Allow Oklahoma City’s core to take 3-pointers — at least initially
There’s no other way to say this. The Pacers have found themselves fortunate the Thunder’s three best players — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren — are all struggling mightily from beyond the arc, combining to make a grand total of 14 triples in the series on 61 attempts.
While the idea of letting players shoot is rarely a good one, the Pacers shouldn’t be outright fearful of letting that trio test out its range in Game 7. If the Big 3 miss early, stick with it. If they start to hit, make adjustments and force them into the mid-range area.
For the Pacers, keeping Gilgeous-Alexander out of the paint is a major boon, as that drastically limits his chances of drawing fouls on overly eager defenders biting on his shot-fakes near the rim.
Hang onto the ball at all costs
The Pacers have turned the ball over 99 times in this series, despite being one of the best teams in the league in limiting turnovers.
Tyrese Haliburton especially has struggled, as 21 of those have come at his expense. That means he, more than anyone, will have to be mindful of his surroundings, float away from traps and double-teams, and have teammates ready to help as soon he feels pressure.
If the Pacers can limit their mistakes, they stand a strong chance at identifying a more stable offensive flow.
Primary X-Factor
Myles Turner. If the big man starts hitting his 3-pointers and can give his team an offensive boost, that will make life much easier for the Pacers.
Oklahoma City Thunder
It sounds simple, but: make shots
Look, even the most hardcore X’s and O’s coach who can think his or her way out of any situation, will lose games if players fail to convert on something as simple as shot attempts.
The Thunder have heavily underlined, this postseason, that their defense is much better than their offense, and that’s kicking them in the butt during these Finals, as the team is sporting a dreadful eFG% of 50.3%, almost a full 6 percentage points lower than during the regular season.
Holmgren in particular is struggling. He’s scoring 68 points on 68 shots in the series, and he’s made just 11.8% of his 3-point shots. The 7-foot-1 three-level scorer has only occasionally looked the part, and if the Thunder are to have any serious hopes of winning the title, Holmgren will have to step up and convert.
Lean into the depth, especially offensively
The Thunder’s offensive hierarchy is obvious, with Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren leading the charge. That much is fair, but no one else is coming close to averaging 10 shots per game. The fourth-highest shot-taker is Alex Caruso, who’s managed 43 shots in six games.
Head coach Mark Daigneault has been hesitant playing some of the players he relied on in the regular season, and while a tightened rotation is fair game for the most part, it might be wise to get guys like Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe some early court time to generate offense.
Having two or three rotation players get into double-figures is of utmost importance, unless Gilgeous-Alexander drops a 50-piece.
Control the tempo and the glass
When the Pacers run and they catch a rhythm, they become extremely difficult to stop. They will run after makes, get into early shots and put defenders on their heels.
The Thunder cannot allow anyone but themselves to dictate the tempo, and that starts by applying their well-known suffocating defense. They have to make every single offensive possession by the Pacers feel like minutes and force them into an ugly, sluggish performance.
By turning the game ugly and defensive in nature, the Thunder could benefit by utilizing Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein on the glass to secure vital possessions. Maximizing shot attempts has to be a major priority for the Thunder in Game 7, with more bites at the apple, the better.
Primary X-factor
Alex Caruso. The do-it-all defensive mastermind dramatically improves his team’s offense when he’s involved. The time is now to take and make open shots.
Overall
These two teams know each other quite well by now, so it seems doubtful anyone applies something brand new. So it comes down to lots of trickery, misdirection and perhaps even something as utterly simple as the best player embracing the game as his own and taking his team home.
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