What Thunder vs Pacers Regular Season Reveals for NBA Finals

Final Takeaway

Assuredly, there will be no shortage of fireworks between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers in this year’s NBA Finals. As reflected in the betting prices, the Thunder are the favorites heading into Thursday’s matchup.

SGA has put the Thunder on his back, and nothing might stop him from carrying his team to an NBA Championship.

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.

Regular Season Matchup #1: Thunder 120 - Pacers 114

On December 26, 2024, the Indian Pacers hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder for the first of two regular-season meetings. The Pacers entered the contest as short home underdogs, but couldn’t do enough to cover the spread at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. 

The Thunder cruised to a 120-114 win, covering the -5.5 spread and eclipsing the 227.5-point total. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander demolished the Pacers, dropping 45 points on 15-for-22 shooting and 11-for-11 from the charity stripe.

Regular Season Matchup #2: Thunder 120 - Pacers 114

The next time these teams would meet would be March 29, 2025. Again, the Thunder were priced as the prohibitive -8.5 home chalk. OKC would have no problem covering the spread, easily cashing as 132-111 winners.

In this contest, the Thunder continued to extract maximum value from Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA dropped 33 on a more modest 10-for-23 shooting performance while still making it to the free throw line 12 times.

Team Performance/Trends Across Both Games

As we’ve seen, Gilgeous-Alexander has been the catalyst for the Thunder in both regular-season matchups against the Pacers. Still, there are a few other important trends to note. 

OKC has pushed the pace in both contests. They averaged 92.5 field goal attempts per game throughout the season, attempting at least 94 in either of those contests. Naturally, that forced the Pacers out of their preferred tempo, trying to keep pace with the Thunder. 

Secondly, Indiana turned the ball over 11 times in each of their previous meetings. OKC is one of the stoutest defensive squads in the league, and the Pacers have fallen victim to their traps both times. 

Finally, interior scoring will be the deciding factor in the NBA Finals. OKC outscored the Pacers 108-78 in the paint in their two regular-season games.

Head-to-Head Player Stats

Combined Stats Through Two Games

PF - Pascal Siakam 33 pts, 19 rebs, 4 asts vs. Jalen Williams 38 pts, 6 rebs, 11 asts

SF - Aaron Nesmith 7 pts, 4 rebs, 0 asts (one game played) vs. Luguentz Dort 35 pts, 12 rebs, 0 asts

C - Myles Turner 23 pts, 16 rebs, 3 asts vs. Isaiah Hartenstein 15 pts, 18 rebs, 2 asts

PG - Tyrese Haliburton 22 pts, 6 rebs, 11 asts vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 78 pts, 14 rebs, 16 asts

SG - Andrew Nembhard 39 pts, 14 rebs, 14 asts vs. Cason Wallace 16 pts, 4 rebs, 4 asts

Health and Rotations

The Thunder's starting five continues to do most of the heavy lifting. Chet Holmgren has returned to the lineup, shifting Williams to small forward and Dortz to shooting guard. Consequently, Cason Wallace has been relegated to bench duty. He and Alex Caruso are the only bench players who see regular playing time for the Thunder. 

The Pacers go to their bench with a little more frequency. Bennedict Mathurin sees regular playing time off the bench, as does Ben Sheppard and Obi Toppin. Otherwise, expect the starting five to do the most.

Pacers Injuries:

Tony Bradley continues to nurse a hip injury that has kept him out since Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final. 

Likewise, an ankle injury will prevent Jarace Walker from suiting up for at least two games. 

Thunder Injuries:

None.

Matchups to Monitor

Obviously, the champion will be decided by which guard steps up in the NBA Finals. In that regard, SGA has a decisive advantage over Haliburton. However, a couple of other matchups will be a deciding factor. 

First, Chet Holmgren versus Pascal Siakam is a battle to watch closely. Holmgren didn’t suit up in the regular season and will need to slow down Siakam. 

Second, Jalen Williams has shown the ability to take over the game on offense. The Thunder will easily cruise to victory if Aaron Nesmith can’t slow him down.

Final Takeaway

Assuredly, there will be no shortage of fireworks between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers in this year’s NBA Finals. As reflected in the betting prices, the Thunder are the favorites heading into Thursday’s matchup.

SGA has put the Thunder on his back, and nothing might stop him from carrying his team to an NBA Championship.

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.