Finals Bolts: Matching Up
Jarace Walker will miss at least the first two games of the Finals.
Eric Nehm and Kelly Iko (The Athletic) break down several factors to watch for in the Finals:
For the Pacers, it’s Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard. Indiana has two players who have been named to All-Star and All-NBA teams. Haliburton is the engine that runs the Pacers’ spectacular offensive attack, and Pascal Siakam is the do-it-all forward who has taken Indiana’s offense and defense to elite levels during the last two postseasons. Those two take care of the big-picture production every team needs its stars to handle, but Nesmith and Nembhard have often provided the heart and soul of the Pacers’ effort, which includes a physical edge on defense and clutch playmaking on offense. Their effort is going to be essential again in the NBA Finals.
Kevin Pelton (ESPN) on the comebacks that have defined much of the 2025 postseason:
Switching our focus to Indiana specifically, the Pacers do derive more benefit than most teams from defensive rebounds. They've averaged 1.26 points per possession after those, per Inpredictable, third best in the NBA. Although Indiana is still third after a made shot or dead ball, their efficiency drops by an above-average .16 points per possession... Oklahoma City has been very good defending after a made shot or dead ball turnover (second on a per-possession basis after the Detroit Pistons) but is allowing .08 points per possession fewer than any other team on possessions that begin with defensive rebounds.
Remarkably, Haliburton scored just eight points on 10 shot attempts in 122 matchups when he was guarded by Dort, per GeniusIQ tracking. That is Haliburton's lowest shot rate against any individual defender with a minimum of 50 matchups in that span. (Haliburton's highest shot rate, conversely, came when he was matched up against Jalen Brunson, but the Thunder's stout defense doesn't offer any similar targets whom Haliburton can attack like he did in the conference finals.)
Where the ratings land ultimately has no impact on the NBA’s short-term bottom line, according to those who work in the NBA and TV industries. The league signed its current television deal in 2014 and what it receives this season is a fixed payment. What it receives next season, no matter how many people watch Pacers-Thunder, is already settled. The league signed its upcoming 11-year media rights deals with NBC, ESPN and Amazon, for a total of $75 billion, last summer. Those won’t change if the finals underperform, and media companies price in a few down years of ratings for the finals when they sign long-term contracts. “The NBA is not on the hook for anything,” one longtime TV executive said. “This is the network’s problem. Does everyone want a Knicks-Lakers final? Sure.”
Lu Dort and Ben Mathurin are old pals.
Alex Caruso on the fun of guarding Nikola Jokic.
“I will die on this court if I have to”
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) June 2, 2025
Alex Caruso on defending Jokic in the playoffs pic.twitter.com/4ALC5eMTEE
Tim Reynolds (AP) on Caruso's championship experience benefiting the young Thunder:
