NBA Finals Update

It's been a great finals so far.  Here's what has happened:

Thursday, June 5 (Game 1 in OKC):  Indiana pulled off one of its patented miracle comebacks, with Tyrese Haliburton hitting a shot at the buzzer (well, with 0.3 seconds left) to stun the Thunder in Oklahoma City by the score of 111 to 110.

Sunday, June 8 (Game 2 in OKC):  The Pacers, having already taken Game One and the home court advantage, pretty much conceded Game Two.  The Thunder rolled to an easy 123-107 win.

Wednesday, June 11 (Game 3 in Indy):  This game was a hard-fought battle all the way, but the Pacers again dominated the fourth quarter.  They outscored the Thunder 32-18 in the last frame to win 116 to 107 and take a two games to one lead.

Friday, June 13 (Game 4 in Indy):  This game was the Big One.  If the Pacers win this game, they go up three-one and can close out the series at home in Game 6.  And the Pacers led 87-80 going into the last quarter.  But this time, the Thunder turned the tables on Indy.  Down the stretch, Shea Gilgeous-Alexander (who finished with 35 points) dominated the game in a way no one else has been able to do against the Pacers.  Behind SGA, the Thunder roared back to win 111 to 104.

So the series is tied at two games apiece, and Indy has to win one more game in OKC to take the title.  If the Pacers had won Game Four, I think they would have coasted in Game Five and then closed it out in Game Six.  But now Game Five is a must-win for both teams -- OKC cannot afford to lose at home, and Indy will not want to come back to Oklahoma for Game Seven.  I'm pretty sure that whoever wins tonight will be the NBA Champion for 2024-25, so this is the Game to Watch.  In the meantime, I give credit to both teams for three really good games.