Thunder vs. Pacers Simulated NBA Finals: Winner and MVP Revealed
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The NBA Finals are a gas, but after an 82-game regular season and countless playoff contests, we need some time away from the tube.
Like, five months.
Listen, we already know who’s repping each conference (the West’s 68-win Oklahoma City Thunder and the East’s 50-win Indiana Pacers) and we already know who’s favored (OKC: -700), so do we really need to wade through another two weeks of pro hoops?
Nah.
That’s why we paid super-close attention when Chicago Sports Stuff and the O.G. of fantasy sports, Strat-O-Matic, gamed out the 2024-25 NBA Finals.
Spoiler alert: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a beast.
Game 1
INDIANA PACERS: 120 - OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: 124
OKC opened up an 18-point lead late in the second half, but the Pacers shaved off 17, with a late Andrew Nembhard basket capping a 13-4 run with 90 ticks left. But Williams hit a jumper, then Holmgren delivered the clinching layup with 0:02 on the clock, giving the homestanding Thunder a wire-to-wire win.
SGA went for game-best 39 while Haliburton’s 23 led six in double-digits for Indiana.
(OKC leads series 1-0)
Game 2
INDIANA PACERS: 120 - OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: 124
The hosts, who led by as many as 13 in the third, withstood a 21-5 run to put the upstart Pacers ahead by three.
Isaiah Hartenstein then keyed a 24-9 run with eight points, then, after a Tyrese Haliburton three with 1:16 left brought Indiana within a point at 111-110, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sealed the deal with a pair from the charity stripe.
SGA’s 30 led all scorers, while he and Hartenstein’s nine rebounds each were game-highs.
(OKC leads series 2-0)
Game 3
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: 115 - INDIANA PACERS: 106
The scene switched to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, but the result was the same as the mighty Thunder battled back from a 17-point first half deficit to swing things late in the third. Their 14-point run early in the fourth helped them grab a (likely) insurmountable 3-0 series lead.
SGA was again unstoppable with a game-high 37, while Holmgren contributed 28 points and 16 boards.
(OKC leads series 3-0)
Game 4
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: 95 - INDIANA PACERS: 106
The Pacers took the lead near the end of the first half, before extending to double digits and winning comfortably to send the series back to the Paycom Center.
Nembhard matched his 21-point Game 2 output, and Siakam poured in 20 for Indiana.
(OKC leads series 3-1)
Game 5
INDIANA PACERS: 127 - OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: 120
The Pacers have battled the odds throughout the playoffs, and weren’t ready to pack it in yet, getting a late and-one from Myles Turner, followed by a Nembhard basket to take a 123-115 lead that they never surrendered.
Siakam’s 28 led a balanced scoring attack that saw seven Pacers crack double figures. SGA kept OKC close with 33.
(OKC leads series 3-2)
Game 6
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: 125 - INDIANA PACERS: 112
No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit. Same deal in Chicago Sports Stuff / Strat-O-Matic NBA history.
After a tight first half, OKC’s 22-5 run between the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth doomed the host Pacers.
SGA saved his best for last, with a series-best 41 and a near triple-double with ten boards and eight dimes to wrap up a season for the ages.
The title is the first for the franchise since moving to Oklahoma City from Seattle in 2008, and their second overall (1979).
(OKC wins series 4-2)
KEY STATISTICAL LEADERS
Indiana Pacers
- Tyrese Haliburton 21.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 8.0 apg
- Pascal Siakam 18.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg
- Myles Turner 15.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg
- Andrew Nembhard 13.7 ppg, 4.2 apg
- Aaron Nesmith 12.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 32.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 5.7 apg
- Chet Holmgren 20.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg
- Jalen Williams 15.5 ppg, 4.5 apg
- Alex Caruso 9.7 ppg, 2.3 apg
MVP
Shai Gilgeous-Alexande
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-82121a1351894b8089c555f4b4b69420-1d609352940036e7455770363a74a2e9.png "Alan Goldsher")
Alan Goldsher has written about sports for Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Apple, Playboy, NFL.com, and NBA.com, and he’s the creator of the Chicago Sports Stuff Substack. He’s the bestselling author of 15 books, and the founder/CEO of Gold Note Records. Alan lives in Chicago, where he writes, makes music, and consumes and creates way too much Bears content. You can visit him at http://www.AlanGoldsher.com and http://x.com/AlanGoldsher.