Pacers embrace underdog role in 2025 NBA Finals

Pacers Embrace Underdog Status in NBA Finals Against Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder are widely regarded as the favorites in the NBA Finals, with a -9. lodibet gaming.com5 point advantage for Game 1 and -700 odds to win the series, as reported by our partners at BetMGM. Finding an expert who predicts an Indiana victory in the series is a tough task, but the Pacers are embracing their role as underdogs.

“If we were to win a championship, I don’t want to win any other way,” said Tyrese Haliburton just before Game 1. “I don’t want to go around or over. I want to go through. You want to go through the best team, the best challenge. This is the best challenge. This is the best team in the NBA. It’s been the best team in the NBA all year.”

Oklahoma City has indeed been dominant this season, boasting a record of 68 wins and a historical +12.7 net rating, which is over 10 points higher than that of Indiana. impacts of gmos on golden rice The Thunder made their way to the NBA Finals by powering through the competitive Western Conference.

This dominance has led many to doubt the Pacers’ chances. Nevertheless, each member of the Indiana roster feels they possess the experience needed for this moment.

“I feel like that’s been the norm for us throughout the playoffs,” T.J. McConnell noted. “That’s okay. We’re not really worried about the external noise. We know what we have to do to win. 10 pesos minimum deposit casino We have to do it together. Anything outside of that we’re not concerning ourselves with.”

Pascal Siakam echoed these sentiments, stating, “I don’t think we expect anyone to pick us. It’s been that way the whole playoffs, the whole season. Nothing for us changes. We just continue to be ourselves, focus on us. fishing tackle shop near me It’s always been us against everyone. Doesn’t change.”

The Pacers enter the Finals brimming with confidence, having practiced against a team with a similar playing style to Oklahoma City every day. They are well-prepared for the challenge ahead. “The fact that they play similar to us, we’ve been seeing that every day since training camp,” Myles Turner mentioned.

While Pacers fans and players might feel overlooked, they have grown accustomed to it. “I don’t think any of us care how overlooked we are,” Andrew Nembhard said. “We don’t pay attention to what the media thinks about our projections. We have a close-knit group, and we look inward. We believe in ourselves.”

At every turn, the Pacers have defied the odds, and they believe they can do it once more. Are you ready to see if Indiana can pull off the upset against the Thunder?