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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Ryan Baldi, Claire de Lune, Bryan Armen Graham and Andrew Lawrence

NBA finals 2025 predictions: will the Pacers shock the Thunder? Our writers share their picks

Thunder Pacers NBA AL Indiana Mark Daigneault Rick Carlisle Shai GilgeousAlexander OKC Pascal Siakam
The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives to the basket during a March game against the Indiana Pacers at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives to the basket during a March game against the Indiana Pacers at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. Photograph: William Purnell/Getty Images

What the Thunder need to do to win

The Thunder’s path to victory is to continue to be the most fearsome defensive unit we’ve seen in recent years. They play an uber-aggressive, hyper-switchable form of defense that has suffocated opponents all year long. It means they give up a lot of fouls, but they also get away with a bunch and force turnovers more than anyone else in the league. Keep that up and, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander getting his customary 32 points a night, they won’t be stopped. Ryan Baldi

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