NBA Finals Picks & Predictions: Pacers vs. Thunder (Game 2)
The NBA Finals continue Saturday night, as the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder meet in Game 2 of their best-of-seven series, as both organizations vie for their first-ever world championship. Tip-off at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. The game can be viewed or streamed on ABC. The Pacers lead the series 1-0. Let’s keep building that bankroll for the stretch run with our best NBA Finals picks and bets for Saturday, June 7.
Best NBA Finals Picks & Predictions: Game 2 (Sunday)
NBA odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All picks are for 1 unit
Indiana Pacers (+420) at Oklahoma City Thunder (-560) | O/U 228.5 (-110/-110)
The Pacers stole Game 1 with a 111-110 victory, stunning the crowd, and the Thunder, at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. As such, Indiana has seized home-court advantage for the NBA Finals.
The Pacers were down, but they were certainly not out, rallying for a big victory. It has been the modus operandi of the Pacers for the entire playoffs. Budding superstar Tyrese Haliburton hit a 21-foot jumper with 0.3 seconds left to give Indiana its only lead of the entire game. How about them apples? The Pacers were down as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter, and, as mentioned, they never led until Haliburton’s game-winning bucket.
The Pacers shot 47.6% (39-of-82) from the field, and 46.2% (18-of-39) from behind the 3-point line, both much better than the Thunder. OKC was just 39.8% (39-of-98) from the field, and only 36.7% (11-of-30) from behind the arc, although the Thunder was much better at the free-throw line at 87.5% (21-of-24). Indiana left six points on the floor at the stripe, going 71.4% (15-of-21) on free throws.
The Pacers outrebounded the Thunder by a wide margin, posting 56 boards, to just 39 for OKC, but Oklahoma City also had a whopping 14 steals, to just one for Indiana. Indiana had 25 total turnovers, while Oklahoma City had a mere seven, yet the Pacers were able to somehow post the stunning victory.
It was the biggest comeback in an NBA Finals game in the fourth quarter since Dallas Mavericks also rallied from 15 down against the Miami Heat during the 2011 NBA Finals. The coach of the Mavs that night was Rick Carlisle, the current head coach of the Pacers.
All five starters for Indiana scored in double digits, with Aaron Nesmith going for 10 points and 12 rebounds, Pascal Siakam dropping 19 points and 10 boards, while Haliburton had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Each starter had at least one successful 3-pointer, too, including two or more by four of the starters. Obi Toppin was a spark plug off the bench for 17 points, too.
For Oklahoma City, Chet Holmgren was a disappointment with just six points on 2-of-9 shooting. The Thunder were far less balanced, with NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way with 38 points on 14-of-30 shooting, including three triples. Luguentz Dort had 15 points, with all of his production coming on five 3-pointers, while adding a game-high four steals with two blocked shots. Alex Caruso came off the bench for 11 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks to provide some veteran experience.
Looking to the totals, it seems like everybody is going to take the Pacers catching the double digits in points. As poorly as they played for most of Game 1, they found a way to not only get back into the game, but to steal it. It’s hard to see the Pacers winning both games on the road, but it’s also hard to see the Thunder suddenly turning it around and routing them. Indiana just doesn’t quit or go away.
We’ll also lean low on the total this time. In the 111-110 win by Indiana in Game 1, the Under comfortably cashed. Unless we get overtime, we’re likely heading for another Under in Game 2.
And, again, as an added bonus, let’s go with two player props. OKC’s Jalen Williams has four or more assists in 16 of his 17 playoff games. You won’t want to play Jalen Williams To Record 4+ Rebounds (-390) straight up, as it would cost you nearly four times your potential return, but adding it in with Indiana and the Under enhances your Same-Game Parlay (SGP). And, let’s add Aaron Nesmith 2+ 3-Pointers Made (-188). Including him with the other three legs gives us an SGP of (+606).
Picks: Pacers +11 (-112) & Under 228.5 Points (-108)
Props: Jalen Williams To Record 4+ Rebounds (-390) & Aaron Nesmith 2+ 3-Pointers Made (-188)