The Battle of Youth vs. Experience: A Deep Dive into Game Seven of the 2025 NBA Finals
The final game of the 2025 NBA season will determine a new, first-time NBA champion. Game Seven of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder will be played Sunday at 8 p.m. EST at the Paycom Center. Despite being 6.5-point favorites, many expect a hard-fought battle to decide who will cement themselves in history. Though expected to play following his strong Game Six, Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton’s health in Game Seven is still unknown. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder hope to bounce back following their blowout loss in Game Six. With the top headlines growing, and anticipation around Game Seven, no story is bigger than one of these teams grabbing their franchise’s first NBA title.
Are the Thunder “Too Young” for This Massive Game Seven?
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the second-youngest team to ever make the NBA Finals, with an average age of 25.6. No stranger to a Game Seven, they defeated the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals in a dominant seventh game at home. However, the majority of their players have never appeared in an NBA Finals. Oklahoma City’s success relies on the performances of their emerging young stars, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Head coach Mark Dagnault will need to get his role players involved early to take some pressure off SGA.
Should Indiana Feel Confident Despite Halliburton's Low Scoring?
While still productive, Tyrese Haliburton’s low-scoring output in this series has plagued Indiana at times. Star forward Pascal Siakam stepped up for the Pacers, particularly with his 16 points and 13 rebounds in Game Six. Halliburton's backup, point guard T.J. McConnell, provided key second-quarter sparks, spearheading strong scoring efforts from Indiana’s bench. Andrew Nembhard will need to maintain his tenacious defense in Game Seven as SGA’s primary defender, hoping to hold him under 30 points. As the Pacers look to finish their historic run, they will need another team effort to upset OKC.
Game. Seven.
The two greatest words in sports: Game Seven. A fitting grand finale to an up-and-down series, one team will have reached the pinnacle of sports while the other shares the same fate as 29 other NBA teams. As the first finals since 2006 to crown a new champion, a Pacers victory in Game Seven on the road would etch this team forever into basketball history. Sunday night will answer the most-asked question in sports over the past two days: Who will win Game Seven?
