Pacers – Thunder NBA Playoffs 2024/25, NBA Finals Prediction, Game 6, Friday, 20.06.2025, 02:30
In my NBA Finals prediction for Game 6, I am looking for a sports betting provider with the following request: I would like to place a player bet on perhaps the hottest player in this series – Jalen Williams.
I will also take advantage of a first-class sports betting bonus at this bookie before I possibly have to say goodbye to NBA tips for several months.
Game 5 was Jalen Williams’ breakout game – and probably the moment when the series finally turned around.
The Thunder forward delivered his best performance in the Finals so far with 40 points, hitting 14 of 25 shots and shining especially in transition, on pull-up jumpers and from the three-point line.
Anyone who thought Williams was just a complementary player alongside SGA has been proven wrong. This wasn’t just a good game – it was the arrival of a new star on the biggest stage.
And this run didn’t come out of nowhere: 26 points in Game 3, 27 in Game 4, now 40. The man is on fire. And at just the right time.
The exciting thing about it is that Williams’ resurgence is noticeably taking the pressure off Gilgeous-Alexander. The MVP candidate no longer has to score 35 or 40 points every night to keep OKC in the game.
Instead, he can play a stronger role as a playmaker – as he did in Game 5, where he scored 31 points himself but also dished out ten assists, many of them at critical moments.
SGA now recognizes much better when he needs to attack himself and when passing is the better option. This takes the Thunder offense to a new level: 24 assists in the last game, plus a good balance between half-court play and fast breaks.
OKC looks like a team that knows exactly when to step up.
A prime example of this was the start of the fourth quarter in Game 5. The Pacers were within two points, Siakam had just contributed a block and a three-pointer, the crowd was behind them – and then the Thunder storm came.
First, a strong ball move from SGA over Dort to Williams for an open three-pointer, then several forced turnovers – and suddenly the lead was back in double digits. These phases, in which Indiana simply has no control over the game, have become a recurring theme throughout the series.
And they’re not just bad luck – they simply show the differences in physicality, decision-making and depth between the two teams.
Another problem remains Tyrese Haliburton. He’s playing, sure – but how? Six shot attempts in Game 5, zero field goals, four points total.
Yes, he’s injured, you can see that. But when your primary playmaker is so limited, it’s just brutally difficult against an aggressive OKC defense.
Luguentz Dort completely took Haliburton out of the game, and even though he contributed a few assists in the second half, he was never a real scoring threat. And that’s exactly what Indiana needs: a Haliburton who attacks, drives, creates.
Instead, he’s currently just a shadow of his former self.
Of course, there were bright spots for the Pacers – for example, T.J. McConnell, who completely exploded in the third quarter and scored 13 points in six minutes. That was strong, that was brave, and that was exactly what Indiana needed.
But McConnell is not a player who can carry a team for 30 minutes. And so Rick Carlisle decided to go back to Nembhard in the final quarter – who promptly turned the ball over three times and completely disappeared on offense.
That’s also a sign: apart from Siakam and a limited Haliburton, Indiana simply doesn’t have a reliable offensive structure when it really matters. And McConnell, as explosive as he is at times, cannot fill that gap on his own in the long run.
Defensively, things didn’t look good for Indiana for long stretches either. They turned the ball over 23 times, which OKC converted into 32 points. You can’t win a game like that – especially not a game with a Finals feel to it.
And it’s not a one-off: in Game 4, they lost the final quarter 17-31, with OKC again dominating in defense and transition. The Thunder now know how to tighten the screws in critical moments.
And they have two players who can take over at any time: SGA and the red-hot Williams.
Let’s summarize my NBA Finals prediction: OKC is in better shape, plays with more discipline, has the better individual players and clearer roles. The Pacers are missing Haliburton at his best, the rotation is unstable, and the number of turnovers is alarmingly high.
Game 6 won’t be easy – the Pacers will throw everything they’ve got at home. But OKC has the talent, the coolness, and the defensive quality to get through it.
My prediction: Williams with at least 22 points.
