After two games, the 2025 NBA Finals are knotted at 1-1, yet it feels like one team has a leg up on the other. The Oklahoma City Thunder are one missed game-winner away from boasting a dominant 2-0 lead. After getting punched on the chin, though, the young Thunder responded with an impressive blowout win. Stephen A. Smith believes that if the Indiana Pacers don’t make the correct adjustments from here on out, this won’t be much of a series.
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Stephen A. and Brian Windhorst lauded the unexpected offensive production from Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins, who are regarded more for their defensive impact. If OKC’s depth can continue to shift the series this much in their favor, the Pacers may not have a chance, even with a solid bench unit of their own.
Stephen A. believes that if Wiggins continues his offensive onslaught, Indiana won’t be able to contain the Thunder’s array of weapons. The former 55th overall pick has not only managed to crack OKC’s postseason rotation; he’s also been instrumental in their success. With so much help coming from every direction for the Thunder, the Pacers will need more from their stars — mainly Tyrese Haliburton.
“My answer is how many shots Tyrese Haliburton gets,” Windhorst shared on First Take. “And the reason I don’t like saying that is because in the last round, I had to go back and forth with Stephen A. when he was counting Ant Edwards’ shots. And I didn’t think that should define the way he played.”
Windy’s admitted self-hypocrisy aside, the veteran sports journalist brings up a valid point. The Pacers are much deeper than Minnesota and don’t rely nearly as much on one person for their offense. But at this facet of the season, the superstars have to step up.
“I really think that getting Haliburton shots up is such an important aspect of what the Pacers have to do,” Windhorst continued.
Through two games, Hali has attempted 26 field goal attempts, scoring a total of 31 points. While he’s still taking double-digit attempts and his final stat lines aren’t egregious, most of the Pacers star’s production has come late. That wouldn’t necessarily be a problem if he were contributing more in the first three quarters of the game, but so far, that hasn’t been the case.
Windy pointed out that Haliburton is averaging just 11 shot attempts against the Thunder over the last two years, a trend that cannot continue if Indiana hopes to avoid a gentleman’s sweep. “They have got to find a way to get him space. Whether that’s playing faster, whether it’s setting a pick higher, whether that’s encouraging him to get downhill…” Windhorst proclaimed.
The two-time All-Star has proven capable of individual scoring bursts in the past. But if Indiana plans on bagging their first ever NBA championship, Hali will have to play the best ball of his career.
