The NBA peak showdown! The Thunder is aimed at the championship, and the Pacers want to be upset, so they need to let the MVP start killing

After many days of fierce battles, the NBA playoff division finals of the 24-25 season have come to an end. The Thunder, who played the best record in the Western Conference in the regular season, easily defeated the Timberwolves 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals, and took the lead in getting a ticket to the finals. The Pacers, as the dark horse of the Eastern Conference, eliminated the Knicks 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals, and once again stood on the stage of the finals after 25 years.

Neither team has won the O'Brien Cup in history. They will definitely do their best for the first championship in this game. The well-known US media "Polymarket Hoops" predicts the ownership of the championship. The probability of the Thunder winning the championship is as high as 85%, while the Pacers are only 15%. It can be said that the Thunder, which has better overall performance, has become a favorite to compete for the championship, but the Pacers are not without a chance to be upset. If they want to win the championship, they need to let the new MVP Alexander defeat all sides in the finals.

The reason why the Thunder's prospects for winning the championship are optimistic is that they have performed well on both ends of offense and defense. After three rounds of the Western Conference playoffs, the Thunder averaged only 106.3 points. Among all the teams participating in the playoffs, they ranked fourth after the Celtics, Rockets and Warriors. The Pacers averaged 113.3 points, which is better than the three teams that were eliminated in the first round, the Heat, Grizzlies and Bucks.

The performance of the Thunder on the offensive end is not bad. Although the Pacers ranked second with 117.4 points in the playoff team scoring list, the Thunder ranked third with only 0.3 points. When the offensive levels of the two teams are not much different, it is reasonable to become a favorite for the championship. After all, the NBA has a famous saying, that is, the defense wins the championship.

However, the Pacers also have a sudden hope. If they want to defeat the Thunder and win the championship without being optimistic, they must make a choice on the defensive end. Judging from their playoff performance, the new MVP Alexander is almost unable to be locked, and they can average 29.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game.

It is obviously unrealistic to rely on double-teaming and assisting defense to limit Alexander who has super fouls. In this case, letting Alexander score alone, and then cutting off the pass line with his teammates when he dribbles the ball, which has become one of the few unexpected hopes for the Pacers. As long as Jaylen Williams and Homegren are not allowed to play, it will be difficult for Alexander to defeat the Pacers alone.

While doing a good job in defense, the Pacers also have to surround Halliburton on the offensive end and play their signature overall offense. After all, the Thunder's defense is very good, and there are players with outstanding defensive capabilities in the inside and outside. It is difficult to gain a advantage by playing the Pacers one-on-one. Therefore, whether Halliburton can use his pass and overall view as soon as possible to hand over the ball to his teammates in an open position will largely determine the success or failure of the Pacers.

Judging from the performance of the two teams in the playoffs, the Thunder is indeed better than the Pacers. If the latter wants to win the first championship in the team history without being optimistic, he must isolate Alexander on the court and play a smooth overall offense. He must make full use of the opportunity to counterattack. Only in this way can he have hope of winning the championship in an upset.