The Indiana Pacers are set to face a formidable opponent in the Oklahoma City Thunder as they begin their journey in the NBA Finals. This matchup is a historic moment for the Pacers. Despite that successful early go of it, they’ll enter the series as very large underdogs and the Thunder are -700 favs to win the title. The Pacers seem to have forged their recent playoff glory on the foundation of being underestimated. Today, they are poised to meet the challenge before them.
This year, that can all change! For the first time since 2015, the two teams with the most regular-season success are on the Finals stage. Through every playoff series this team has been through, they’ve displayed a remarkable sense of resiliency and adaptability. They made an incredible comeback from an awful start to the season. By the middle of December, the crew found themselves in a daunting 10-15 hole. Injuries just annihilated them, and they bore the burden of expectation after making the conference finals a year prior. Myles Turner reflected on this challenging period, stating that it ultimately became “one of the best things to happen” to the team.
That tempered beginning made the Pacers face adversity early, forging them into a more complete team. Tyrese Haliburton recognized this development, but used it to stress the importance of what’s to come with their biggest test yet— the Thunder.
“You want to go through the best team, the best challenge. This is the best challenge,” – Tyrese Haliburton
Regardless, the Thunder definitely represent a stern test for the Pacers here. Beyond that are their historical precedents of offensive and defensive greatness. Haliburton noted, “They’re historically great on both sides of the ball,” highlighting the caliber of the opponent they are up against.
Even Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, a fierce competitor, knows what’s coming. He stated, “It’s simply going to come down to us being able to play our game at the best possible level. We’re going to need to take care of the ball because these guys turn people over at a historic rate. We’re going to have to make some shots.”
At heart, the Pacers are an underdog team. Pascal Siakam remarked, “I don’t think we expect anyone to pick us,” reinforcing their resolve to prove their critics wrong. In their recent playoff run, they controlled the emotional high tide of their Eastern Conference finals win against the New York Knicks. They channeled that energy into jet fuel to launch themselves toward their goals.
Though they were significant underdogs, the Pacers melt in the clutch, but they excel when they have nothing to lose. Whether by design or default, their playoff journey has shown they can go beyond surpassing expectations. This current series against the Thunder presents them with an opportunity to prove their worth on a huge stage.
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