Let's get to the NBA Finals, where the series shifts to India and the Pacers holding home court advantage. After stealing Game one from the Thunder on the road, Oklahoma City bounced back with an emphatic game to win on Sunday night to even the series. It's not over. This is still a highly competitive series. And I give Indiana a lot of credit for that because I never anticipated that they would win Game one the way that they did. To be down fifteen, to come back, to be down fifteen with over nine minutes left, and to come back and to win that game. Gotta give a lot of credit that particular game. Nie Nei Smith and them, Hard Miles turn Up, Pascal Siakam, all of them showed up with big buckets down the stretch, set in the stage for Tyrese Halliburton to hit his winner with zero point three seconds left in regulation. Deserves a lot of credit in that span this postseason, this brother, Tyrese Halliburton in fifteen seconds or left left in regulation or over time. Okay, this brother has gone five for five from the field, while the rest of the NBA in the postseason has gone four of twenty six. You can't say enough about that from Tyrese Halliburton and his performance in Game one, meaning that big time shot. But for the most part he's been relatively neutralized because the star of this series, making no mistake about it, has been Shae Butter as in Shae Gil Just Alexander as in the reigning league MVP just finished averaging thirty two point seven a game. He's averaged at least thirty over the last three seasons. He's twenty six years of age, Ladies and gentlemen, doesn't even shoot that many threes, but the brothers missed the mid range. He's got a nasty handle, he can create his own shot, and he can get to the rim anytime he wants to. And the reason I'm bringing that up is because if you're Halliburton, who everybody's been talking about, is this young superstar And I said, no, he's not a superstar, not there yet. The brother can play. He's not overrated, he's not a scrub, but he's not a superstar. That would be Shae Gil Just Alexander. Here's the flip side to all of that, Shay Guil Alexander is not only a star or superstar, but he plays the same position as Tyre's Halliburton. They're damn near the same height. For crying out loud, You've got to step up and handle your business this brother. Shay gil just Alexander drop thirty eight in game one, drop thirty four in game two, averaging thirty six on the series. You got to answer that call. You can't be at averaging eleven points or fifteen points, rather shoot thirty three percent from the field. You can't go the first forty minutes of the game with just five points and you score twelve points in the fourth quarter when the game is out of reach. That ain't good enough. So Halliburton's got to do more. Pascal Siakam, you can't be held to three four eleven shooting with Alex Caruso guard and you have the tom. You gotta take advantage. You gotta find a way because Indiana, as potent as they can be, Oklahoma City is a different beast. This defense is elite. Lou Dort is an elite defender, Alex Caruso is an elite defender. Cason Wallace can defend. And then when you take into a count that Shay Gilgers and Jalen Williams also do defend as well. And Jalen Williams, your second best offensive player is a cat, only two one of two in the entire NBA. Him and Evan Mobley are the Cleveland Cavaliers who were all All NBA on an All NBA team, but also on an All NBA defensive team. Only two players did that this year, Evan Mobley and Jenden Williams. So there's no drop off with OKC. Everybody defense, everybody defense. And then when you got this cat Wiggins coming off the bench and he gives you eighteen points on five threes, and Caruso is opening a corner three or four times for his corner threes and he's given you twenty and not a single Indiana pacer has scored twenty points in games one and two of this series. Indiana has to show up. Game three is pivotal for them. They must at least split or's over in five. Five. They gotta split or it's over in five. So you gotta wins Game three or four, and I think they are better chances to win Game three as opposed to Game four. They gotta show up, will they? That remains the question. It's an intriguing one though, because Indiana can score, and because they can score, who knows how interesting they may make this. Oklahoma City is clearly the better team. That does not mean Indiana can't win. Keep that in mind. I'm still with OKC and six, but Indiana better win one of these games or it ain't going six.

Let's get to the NBA Finals, where the series shifts to India and the Pacers holding home court advantage. After stealing Game one from the Thunder on the road, Oklahoma City bounced back with an emphatic game to win on Sunday night to even the series. It's not over. This is still a highly competitive series. And I give Indiana a lot of credit for that because I never anticipated that they would win Game one the way that they did. To be down fifteen, to come back, to be down fifteen with over nine minutes left, and to come back and to win that game. Gotta give a lot of credit that particular game. Nie Nei Smith and them, Hard Miles turn Up, Pascal Siakam, all of them showed up with big buckets down the stretch, set in the stage for Tyrese Halliburton to hit his winner with zero point three seconds left in regulation. Deserves a lot of credit in that span this postseason, this brother, Tyrese Halliburton in fifteen seconds or left left in regulation or over time. Okay, this brother has gone five for five from the field, while the rest of the NBA in the postseason has gone four of twenty six. You can't say enough about that from Tyrese Halliburton and his performance in Game one, meaning that big time shot. But for the most part he's been relatively neutralized because the star of this series, making no mistake about it, has been Shae Butter as in Shae Gil Just Alexander as in the reigning league MVP just finished averaging thirty two point seven a game. He's averaged at least thirty over the last three seasons. He's twenty six years of age, Ladies and gentlemen, doesn't even shoot that many threes, but the brothers missed the mid range. He's got a nasty handle, he can create his own shot, and he can get to the rim anytime he wants to. And the reason I'm bringing that up is because if you're Halliburton, who everybody's been talking about, is this young superstar And I said, no, he's not a superstar, not there yet. The brother can play. He's not overrated, he's not a scrub, but he's not a superstar. That would be Shae Gil Just Alexander. Here's the flip side to all of that, Shay Guil Alexander is not only a star or superstar, but he plays the same position as Tyre's Halliburton. They're damn near the same height. For crying out loud, You've got to step up and handle your business this brother. Shay gil just Alexander drop thirty eight in game one, drop thirty four in game two, averaging thirty six on the series. You got to answer that call. You can't be at averaging eleven points or fifteen points, rather shoot thirty three percent from the field. You can't go the first forty minutes of the game with just five points and you score twelve points in the fourth quarter when the game is out of reach. That ain't good enough. So Halliburton's got to do more. Pascal Siakam, you can't be held to three four eleven shooting with Alex Caruso guard and you have the tom. You gotta take advantage. You gotta find a way because Indiana, as potent as they can be, Oklahoma City is a different beast. This defense is elite. Lou Dort is an elite defender, Alex Caruso is an elite defender. Cason Wallace can defend. And then when you take into a count that Shay Gilgers and Jalen Williams also do defend as well. And Jalen Williams, your second best offensive player is a cat, only two one of two in the entire NBA. Him and Evan Mobley are the Cleveland Cavaliers who were all All NBA on an All NBA team, but also on an All NBA defensive team. Only two players did that this year, Evan Mobley and Jenden Williams. So there's no drop off with OKC. Everybody defense, everybody defense. And then when you got this cat Wiggins coming off the bench and he gives you eighteen points on five threes, and Caruso is opening a corner three or four times for his corner threes and he's given you twenty and not a single Indiana pacer has scored twenty points in games one and two of this series. Indiana has to show up. Game three is pivotal for them. They must at least split or's over in five. Five. They gotta split or it's over in five. So you gotta wins Game three or four, and I think they are better chances to win Game three as opposed to Game four. They gotta show up, will they? That remains the question. It's an intriguing one though, because Indiana can score, and because they can score, who knows how interesting they may make this. Oklahoma City is clearly the better team. That does not mean Indiana can't win. Keep that in mind. I'm still with OKC and six, but Indiana better win one of these games or it ain't going six.