NBA Finals Recap and Game 7 Analysis

With Game 7 of the NBA Finals just days away, this is a great opportunity to take a look at how this series has unfolded. With that, we will recap some of the major ups and downs in this series, as well as provide some analysis for Game 7. 

The Pacers' Surprise in Game 1

The Indiana Pacers came into the NBA Finals as heavy underdogs, especially in Game 1, where they were double-digit underdogs. The Thunder jumped out to an early lead and led for virtually the entire game. 

However, the Pacers slowly started to chip away at the Thunder's big lead in the second half, eventually cutting the lead down to one possession. In the final seconds, Tyrese Haliburton drained a basket with 0.3 seconds on the clock to give the Pacers an improbable 111-110 victory.

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The Thunder Start to Assert Their Dominance

After the blunder in Game 1, the Thunder responded in a big way in Game 2. Once again, the Thunder controlled this game throughout. However, this time they were able to pull away late for a 123-107 win to tie the series at 1-1.

The series moved to Indiana for Game 3, and once again, the Pacers used a huge fourth quarter to take control of the game, as they won 116-107 to take a 2-1 series lead.

Just like in Game 2, the Thunder responded in Game 4 with a 111-104 win to tie the series at 2-2. This time, the Pacers built a big lead, and it was the Thunder who chipped away until they were able to take control late.

Game 5 saw the series move back to Oklahoma City, where it was all Thunder from the start. The Thunder won this game 120-109 to take a 3-2 lead, fueled by a 40-point game from Jalen Williams and a 31-point game from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Also, Game 5 was where Tyrese Haliburton was briefly injured and had to exit the game. Even when he returned, Haliburton was a non-factor, scoring just 4 points and was held to 0 of 6 from the field.

The Pacers Force a Game 7

Game 6 was back in Indiana and a must-win game for the Pacers, while the Thunder were looking to close out the series and be crowned NBA Champions. The Pacers, however, got off to a hot start, building a huge lead early, including a 30-point lead at the halftime break. 

Tyrese Haliburton was able to play the entire game despite his injury in Game 5, providing 14 points, and the Pacers as a whole had six players score in double figures. 

Additionally, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his lowest point total in the series, scoring just 21 points, while Jalen Williams followed up his 40-point Game 5 performance with just 16 points in Game 6.

Given the struggles of the Thunder's top two players, Indiana ended up winning comfortably by a score of 108-91 to force a winner-take-all Game 7.

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Keys to Game 7

Game 7 will be back in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder have generally been much better. The Thunder are once again the favorite, but the total looks to be the better betting option. 

Specifically, the over as every game played in Oklahoma City has seen at least 220 points scored. On average, 226.7 points have been scored per game in the three games played in Oklahoma City. Therefore, with a total set around 215.5 at DraftKings ​​​​​, backing the over will be our best bet. 

For further analysis, check out our full Game 7 prediction between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.