On 06/08, the Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Indiana Pacers for Game 2 of the NBA Finals. The Thunder were left bamboozled in Game 1 as a Tyrese Haliburton game-winner gave the Pacers a 111-110 win. Can the hosts recover from the shock of Game 1, or will Indiana add another glorious chapter to their miracle season? Go through the spread, total, and player props predictions here.
Indiana “No lead is big against us” Pacers bite, OKC left perplexed
It was Groundhog Day for the Pacers, but in a good way again. They were down by 9 points with about three minutes left in Game 1. Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Nesmith hit key buckets, and Haliburton finished it with a mid-range jumper, his fourth game-winner of the 2025 postseason.
Even the box score was typical of Indiana. Four players were in the 14-19 points range, as the team had another impressive night from deep. They hit 18 out of 39 shots from the three-point range. Indiana has hit the 40% mark for the 10th time in 17 games now, just WOW! A coach’s dream.
On the other hand, it was the same old story for the Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander erupted for 38 points. Meanwhile, Luguentz Dort had an unlikely 15-point night, nailing 5 out of 9 triples. SGA and Dort combined for 8 triples on a 50 %+ FG.
But the rest of the team shot 3/15 from deep. Jalen Williams had another struggling game, making just 6 of his 19 field goals. Chet Holmgren had an unimpressive 2/9 shooting night. The Thunder, who have forced more than 18 TOPG (NBA record), forced 24 turnovers, but the comeback kings couldn’t be denied.
One thing is clear: no lead is safe against Indiana. They have come back from a 14-point deficit with less than 4 minutes left in the game against the NY Knicks. The squad treats 7-point leads in the clutch moments like nothing.
As for the Thunder, they blew a double-digit lead in the last few minutes of the game for the second time this playoffs. They need to come up with a resounding response in the second game.
Pacers Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Tyrese Haliburton | SG: Andrew Nembhard | SF: Aaron Nesmith | PF: Pascal Siakam | C: Myles Turner
Key bench players: SG: Benedict Mathurin, PG: TJ McConnell, C: Thomas Bryant.
Injuries/Updates: Nothing to report as such.
Thunder Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Shai-Gilgeous Alexander | SG: Luguentz Dort | SF: Jalen Williams | SF: Chet Holmgren | C: Isaiah Hartenstein
Key bench players: SG: Cason Wallace, SG: Alex Caruso, SG: Aaron Wiggins.
Injuries/Updates: Nothing significant to report
The first game produced 221 points, which was around 10 points below the projected mark from the bookmakers. But the Pacers got close to the stipulated mark of around 111-112 points, whereas the Thunder finished from their assigned mark of 120 after being on track till the third quarter.
The bookmakers have shifted the scoring projections from early 230s to late 220s. I chose “Over” last time and was proven wrong, but I will choose “Over” again, considering the high-scoring nature of both squads.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander O 33.5 points: The Pacers usually allow the opponent’s scorer to get near or past the 35-point mark. SGA had 38 in Game 1, and going for “Over” can bear fruit again.
Pascal Siakam O 18.5 points: Siakam scored 19 points in Game 1, a performance reminiscent of his 2019 Finals heroics. He scored 30 or more in three of the six games during the ECF series, too. I believe he will score at least 20 here.
Jalen Williams O 20.5 points: Williams scored 17 points in Game 1. He has been unable to clear the “Over” projections during most of the games since the beginning of the West Semi-Finals. But I see a special performance here.
Main pick: Assists: Pascal Siakam O 18.5 points for -118 at FanDuel
The Thunder will be seething after conceding a big chance to take the series lead. The Pacers have done it to all four opponents in the postseason. However, OKC is the toughest opponent of ‘em all and will enter as the favorites.
The bookmakers also believe they will win big and are projecting a spread of over 10 points. But I’ll once again back the Pacers to cover the spread like I did before Game 1.
Betting Lines:
Safe Spread/Money Line Pick: Spread: Pacers +10.5 for -104 at FanDuel
Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn ImagesPhoto Credit:
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