About this Episode
In this episode of Podcasty NBA, Niko and Stella explore how overlooked small-market teams—the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers—defied expectations en route to meeting in the thrilling 2025 NBA Finals. They discuss key moments including a pivotal December matchup ignored on Christmas Day despite featuring MVP-caliber talent like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; analyze each team's playoff journey highlighting defensive dominance by OKC and resilient comebacks by Indy; examine critical player matchups such as Haliburton versus Dort; and unpack strategic factors influencing potential outcomes based solely on insights from ESPN's detailed coverage.
Article Discussed: "NBA Finals 2025: What to know ahead of Pacers-Thunder championship matchup"
Author: NBA Insiders
This podcast was generated by AI using Podcasty.
Episode Transcript
Niko: Welcome to Podcasty NBA! Today, we're diving into a fascinating story about the 2025 NBA Finals featuring two teams that were overlooked on Christmas Day but ended up facing off for the championship: the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.
Stella: That's right, Niko. Both teams had quite the journey this season. Despite not playing on Christmas Day, which is usually the league's marquee showcase, they proved their worth by making it all the way to the finals. We'll break down how these small-market underdogs defied expectations and what makes this matchup so compelling.
Niko: Let's start with that Christmas context. The Thunder spent Christmas night in Indianapolis after opening presents with their families earlier that day. They were on an eight-game win streak and held a 23-5 record but weren't featured on Christmas Day, even though they had one of the league's top players, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was last season’s MVP runner-up.
Stella: Meanwhile, the Pacers were also left out of Christmas Day games despite making it to the Eastern Conference finals last year. It was actually their 20th consecutive year without a Christmas game. Yet, ironically, these two teams would meet in the NBA Finals later that season after both proving themselves through tough playoff runs.
Niko: On December 26th, they faced off in a non-nationally televised game where Indiana led most of the way and even had a 16-point advantage at one point. Tyrese Haliburton was held to just four points, but Indiana still controlled much of the game until Oklahoma City's precision took over.
Stella: Exactly. The Thunder only turned over the ball three times and disrupted Indiana's usual strategy of capitalizing on opponents' mistakes. Gilgeous-Alexander tied his career high with 45 points, scoring 16 in the fourth quarter including a clutch three-pointer late in the game to seal a 120-114 victory for Oklahoma City.
Niko: That game could have been an incredible showcase if it had been given more spotlight on Christmas Day. Instead, it became an interesting footnote since Yahoo Sports pointed out that these two teams are actually the first since 2007 to reach the NBA Finals without playing on Christmas in that same season.
Stella: The league defended its scheduling choices by highlighting how successful and well-rated this year's Christmas slate was overall. Still, many feel it was a mistake not to feature two of the best teams this season during such a prime moment—especially considering their performances over recent weeks leading into these playoffs.
Niko: Let's talk about how both teams got here. Starting with Oklahoma City—they posted one of the most dominant regular seasons ever with 68 wins and swept Memphis in round one before facing Denver's Nuggets led by Nikola Jokic in round two.
Stella: They fell behind 2-1 against Denver but used that adversity as motivation. Alex Caruso said he knew Denver would bring out greatness in them. Led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s clutch performances—including a Game 7 blowout win where he scored 35 points—they advanced confidently.
Niko: In the Western Conference finals against Minnesota Timberwolves, they wrapped up in five games with another dominant performance capped by a 30-point victory. Their defense stood out too—top-ranked during regular season and even better during playoffs—forcing turnovers and converting them efficiently into points.
Stella: Five Thunder players averaged more than one steal per game during playoffs while Chet Holmgren averaged two blocks per game—a testament to their swarming defense described by Anthony Edwards as 'fifteen puppets on one string.' This defensive chemistry has been key to their success.
Niko: Turning to Indiana—the Pacers won 50 games entering as No.4 seed but started slow this season so many overlooked them initially. However, they dispatched Milwaukee Bucks quickly then shocked Cleveland Cavaliers who had won 64 games by dominating them in round two.
Stella: Coach Kenny Atkinson praised them saying they're 'up here' mentally and can sustain intensity for long stretches. In Eastern Conference finals against rivals New York Knicks—the same team they beat en route to their only other Finals appearance—they overwhelmed New York in six games thanks largely to Tyrese Haliburton’s star-making run and Pascal Siakam’s scoring bursts.
Niko: Their offense ranked second-best efficiency at nearly 118 points per hundred possessions while maintaining depth and pace throughout full games—allowing improbable comebacks like overcoming seven-point deficits late multiple times during playoffs—a remarkable display of resilience from an unflashy squad focused on results as Myles Turner put it.
Stella: Looking back at head-to-head matchups this season: The Thunder went an incredible 29-1 against Eastern Conference teams including winning both meetings against Indiana—with Gilgeous-Alexander shining especially with his perfect free throw shooting and multiple three-pointers during their December clash requiring a fourth-quarter comeback from OKC.
Niko: Now looking ahead: Oklahoma City is considered heavy favorites due partly to their youth—the second-youngest team ever reaching Finals—and depth built around stars like Gilgeous-Alexander at age 26 plus promising players like Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren along with GM Sam Presti’s stash of future draft picks indicating dynasty potential if managed well.
Stella: Indiana faces tough challenges trying to overcome Oklahoma City's elite defense which matches well against Pacers’ fast-paced style. Coach Rick Carlisle will try to control series tempo but there's recognition that gap between top West and East teams remains wide—still Pacers thrive as underdogs hoping for another upset miracle given their clutch performances so far.
Niko: A key matchup will be Tyrese Haliburton versus Luguentz Dort—the All-NBA guard facing off against one of league’s best defenders who has limited Haliburton's scoring opportunities significantly over past seasons; slowing him down could decide whether series is short or extends longer with Indiana holding hope for surprise victory.
Stella: To win it all, Thunder must continue controlling turnover differential which has been critical throughout playoffs—forcing more turnovers than any other team while committing fewer themselves—a margin unprecedented since stats began being tracked decades ago according to Kevin Pelton’s analysis from ESPN Research.
Niko: 'For Indiana,' Kram notes from ESPN insiders, 'their path involves limiting turnovers against OKC's pressure defense,' leveraging strong three-point shooting where they lead playoffs at over 40%, and winning close games where they've excelled going 7-1 already in clutch moments—a formula that could keep hopes alive despite odds stacked against them.
Stella: 'So wrapping up,' Niko, 'these Finals highlight how small-market teams like Thunder and Pacers can rise through resilience, smart coaching, defensive prowess, and star performances—even when overlooked early on or excluded from marquee events like Christmas Day games.'
Niko: 'Absolutely Stella,' I’d say this series is more than just basketball; it's about challenging assumptions around market size or ratings predictions—and proving excellence isn’t always about flashiness but consistency under pressure.' Thanks for joining us today on Podcasty NBA—we'll be watching closely as these two teams battle for glory!'
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