Thunder vs Pacers Free Pick, NBA Free Picks, NBA Predictions 6/11/25
- J.A. Cavalier
- Jun 11
- 3 min read
OKLAHOMA CITY @ INDIANA (OKC -5.5, 228.5)
NBA ODDS, NBA PREDICTIONS, NBA PREVIEWS
PACERS @ THUNDER 6/11/25
As the series moves to Indianapolis for Game 3 on Wednesday night, the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder are trading victories, meaning that nothing has been decided in the NBA Finals after two games.
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stated, "Now the goal is to get to three games," during a workout at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday. "First team to three is the rule. The score is 1-1, 0-0, and first to three, so it's almost like a fresh start.”
After Tyrese Haliburton's floater ended Game 1, his fourth game-winner of these playoffs, Gilgeous-Alexander, led the Thunder to victory in Game 2. The MVP has scored the most points in the first two games of a Finals debut, with 72 points through two games.
During portions of Sunday's defeat, Haliburton hobbled as Oklahoma City put pressure on him with several defenders and attempted to force the ball to Indiana's other offensive players or Pascal Siakam. Despite having a "lower body thing" that affects him, Haliburton stated on Tuesday that he intends to play in Indiana's first home NBA Finals game since the team's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000.
In an attempt to win his second NBA championship as head coach, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has repeatedly urged his young team to embrace the home-court opportunity and not dwell on the positive, negative, or ugly aspects of the series' opening two games. In the first two games of the series, the Pacers held a 0.3-second lead in Game 1 and a total of 1 minute, 56 seconds of a possible 96 minutes of Games 1 and 2.
With two days off since Oklahoma City's 123-107 victory on Sunday, Gilgeous-Alexander understands that he might see a different mix of defensive looks from the Pacers. They are searching for answers for slowing him down and will get a boost from playing at home.
In the fourth quarter of Game 1, the Pacers rallied from a 15-point deficit to win 111-110 in Oklahoma City.
For Indiana, reaching the rim has proven to be a difficult task. In the paint, the Pacers have been outscored by 20 points. The team's ability to bounce back from setbacks has been a key component of their success, and they are currently 4-0 in the playoffs.
Carlisle is emphasizing the significance of reducing turnovers without taking the foot off the gas in order to seize control of the Finals. Haliburton had only five points going into the fourth quarter and tied his playoff high with five turnovers in Game 2.
Until the Pacers demonstrate that they can manage the on-ball intensity, Oklahoma City's defense will probably take a similar tack in Game 2. It's literally anyone's guess how Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault will carry out his strategy.
During the regular season, he employed more lineup combinations than any other team in the league—more than 700—and in Game 2, he discovered unusual formations to get an advantage on the boards.
Daigneault isn't concerned about being predictable and doesn't claim credit for making a few unexpected turns. He only wants the Thunder to have more possessions than the opposition at the end of the game. That, in his opinion, is the way to take a 2-1 series lead on Wednesday.
Game 4 of the series will take place in Indiana on Friday night, and Game 5 will move to Oklahoma City on Monday. Game 6 will take place in Indianapolis on Thursday, June 19, if needed.
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Coach Rick FREE PICK
SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER UNDER 33.5 POINTS
SGA only shot the ball 21 times in Game 2. Now, he made 11 of those shots and he hit 11-of-12 free throws to end up with 34 points. In Game 1, he attacked the rim more and attempted 30 shots. With the series heading to Indiana, look for OKC’s offensive numbers as a whole to take a slight dip. SGA has averaged 28.3 ppg in road games in the postseason. He’s averaging 31.8 at home. This prop opened at 34.5 and is already down to 33.5 at most books, a key indicator for us on this prop.
