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The Thunder Reign Supreme!

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The Oklahoma City Thunder have won the NBA championship, defeating the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in a dramatic Game 7 that saw Tyrese Halliburton suffer a potentially season-ending Achilles injury.

• Thunder captured the title behind MVP-caliber performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who won regular season MVP, Finals MVP, and scoring title
• Tyrese Halliburton's injury just seven minutes into Game 7 dramatically altered the series after he scored 9 points in that brief stretch
• Pacers stayed competitive through halftime before OKC pulled away in the second half, building a 21-point lead
• Benedict Matherin performed well for Indiana with 24 points and 13 rebounds
• Questions remain about Pascal Siakam's effectiveness as a number two option
• Jalen Williams established himself as an elite second option, forming potentially the NBA's best duo with SGA
• Chet Holmgren contributed significantly with 5 blocks in the championship clincher
• Both teams face interesting futures – Pacers with Halliburton's recovery and potential roster changes, Thunder with financial challenges of keeping their young core together
• OKC's championship signals a potential changing of the guard with younger players succeeding where veterans haven't

Please make sure to like, subscribe, comment, and tell anyone about the show as we continue coverage with the WNBA and upcoming NBA draft.


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Speaker 1:

What's up everybody? It's your favorite show's favorite show. Get a Bucket. I'm your host, trent, as usual. I hope you're all having a wonderful, wonderful day.

Speaker 1:

Today we're going to talk about the NBA Finals update, but before we do that, please make sure to hit that like and subscribe button, comment, tell anyone about the show, trying to get the ratings up a little bit, just a little bit. Like I said, ladies and gentlemen, today we're going to talk about the NBA Finals and give a quick little update because guess what? The Thunder won that championship. Good stuff, all right, that's my workout for the day. This Finals was exciting. I got to say that I've talked about how OKC came off a little too young, but I also said there's a world where they win the championship and we in that world, ladies and gentlemen, we are in that world. Hear me out.

Speaker 1:

We in game seven, just like I wanted to say, predicted slash, expected slash, hoped for, fingers were crossed on it and it happened. A lot of good, positive moments, a lot of legacy defining moments for a lot of players on both teams. So, with that being said, let's go ahead and talk about we'll show you guys real quick the game seven breakdown right Now. The score was 103-91. Pacers did lose, but here's the thing though, ladies and gentlemen in that first quarter, oh my gosh thought the Pacers was actually about to win something. Gosh thought the pace was actually about to win something. Tyrese Halliburton was snapping. Buddy had, like what? Nine points in like seven minutes. It was crazy until his injury, and we're fearful that it is an Achilles injury. And it sucks too, because we've had Tyrese Halliburton, Jason Tatum, tyrese Halliburton, jason Tatum and Damian Lillard all tear their Achilles heels in this year's playoffs. That's so heartbreaking. That's heartbreaking. And it was even more heartbreaking because, again, game seven for Tyrese Halliburton. I just told you 9.7 minutes. This gave you Kevin Durant vibes. No, I'm not saying Tyrese Hall, this gave you Kevin Durant vibes. No, I'm not saying Tyrese Halliburton is Kevin Durant, but remember, KD did come back for the Warriors in 2019 and ruptured his what was it? I think Achilles also, and well, he was hooping at that point in time against the Raptors. There's actually a little notion that Pascal Siakam has been around a lot of injuries. It's terrible, but this gives you similar vibes and I was questioning coming into game seven, is Ty really the series? Is Tyrese Halliburton a number one option, or should it be a number two? And well, this was starting to look like maybe he's the number one option After that.

Speaker 1:

The Pacers are on an emotional wave. They're on an emotional high and it's really. The Pacers are on an emotional wave. They're on an emotional high and it's really the Pacers versus Shea, gilders, alexander, because Shea had like 16 in the first half. It was ridiculous.

Speaker 1:

The Pacers were doing well and they were containing OKC and again, once Halliburton goes down seven minutes into the first quarter, it looks like, damn, okc about to take it, but the Pacers keep up until the second half. That's when OKC started to pull away because, ladies and gentlemen, it was like favoring the Pacers by one point. Come halftime, as y'all can see, okc pulled away. It was like a 21-point deficit in third quarter, I believe. And then it started to come like no, I'm sorry, that was in the fourth quarter. Yeah, the Pacers started to come back a little bit. Okc said, no, we're going to, we're going to spank that ass, ladies and gentlemen, and it was quite heartbreaking. It was quite heartbreaking, but I did say that I leaned OKC Right and you're looking, looking at, well, the Pacers right now. They did pretty well, although I would have wanted to see somebody else perform. Shout out to Benedict Matherin for doing well right 24 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, that's not bad, and I say he's an X factor too, coming into the series. Really, pascal Siakam, we got some question marks about your champ. But OKC, ladies and gentlemen, these stats, these box scores, just not even thinking about the game, it looks a little bit different, don't it? Notice how Shea Gildress, alexander gave an MVP-like performance, jalen Williams gave a quality second-option performance and Chet Holmgren if that's a third option, god damn, you know what I'm saying. Like that's what OKC did, ladies and gentlemen. But here's my A few people. We got to do it, we got to do it. We got to do it. We got to do it. I'm sorry Because we got to talk about the Pacers. All right Now again.

Speaker 1:

This was an interesting time before the Pacers losing someone of Tyrese Halliburton's stature. I got to say this it's a crushing blow, man, it's a crushing blow. Is Halliburton a number one option? You got to leave office, possibly right now. Again. Quality second option, definitive second option.

Speaker 1:

He definitely can strengthen up a little bit. I want to see him improve physically because his game is there, scoring the ball scoring the basketball could improve it just a smidge. I ain't going to hold you, but he doesn't have to average 20, 25 points a game, ladies and gentlemen. He can give you 14 to 18, because his game is predicated on the assist, getting the others flowing. That's really his bread and butter. But he does need to score as well too. But he also needs to get a little stronger.

Speaker 1:

I saw when Lou Dort was picking him up. Well, it did seem like you can't get past him. There's a difference between passing the ball up and passing the ball up because someone is physically imposing on you defensively. That's the vibe that I got from halliburton. So now, for me, halliburton is one option, one legacy wise. You have revamped yourself to the, to the social media masses, right, thank god too, because they are ignorant. But as a basketball fan, I still got to see if he's the number one option. He does have a lot of good intangibles. I just gotta see if he's best served as a one option or two option.

Speaker 1:

And speaking of number two options, ladies and gentlemen, pascal Siakam, are you a definitive number two or you a fringe third option? That's my question mark, Because when Halliburton left the game, right, siakam, I didn't really see you step up to the plate and keep in mind Halliburton's not going to be returning next season, possibly. What does that do for the Pacers? Should they look to trade a player like Siakam and start to develop their depth a little bit more? Because Siakam just showed you who he was. Imagine if Siakam won the finals MVP, we'd be talking about him a little bit differently, like I said so. But because they lost and he looked the way he did in game seven got some question marks about your champ. Even though you are a champion, you have some question marks about you.

Speaker 1:

And then we also got to look at players like Miles Turner, obi Toppin and who else was it? Someone else didn't score more than Tyrese Halliburton. Ladies and gentlemen, keep in mind Was it Neesmith? No, it wasn't Neesmith. Who was it? I got to, yeah, because someone else showed that to me and I was like that is ridiculous. Yeah, it was Neesmith. That is wild. All three of those players didn't score more than Tyrese Halliburton. Tyrese Halliburton only played in seven minutes. That's disrespectful.

Speaker 1:

Again, we've talked about Pascal Siakam. Pascal Siakam is the defendant of second option, fringe third option, though If we have him in the third option, you might be best served. You just might be, but this team needs help, and someone like miles turner, who has been on the pacers for the longest time about 10 years now it does make you wonder. If you're a pacers fan and part of the organization, should you look to get rid of Miles Turner? Should you? If Miles Turner want to walk, should you let him, because it could be okay. You might need to retool because Howie might need to come back to a better squad Maybe, but then also I'm curious how Howie actually performs as well too.

Speaker 1:

So again, yeah, pacers got some question marks, ladies and gentlemen, pacers got some question marks, but and gentlemen, pacers got some question marks, but again, they did at least reach the NBA finals, and that's one of the main important things. So there is something to build upon, but unfortunately we can't talk about it too much longer because they was close. This just ain't horseshoes. But who we can talk about is the okc thunder, because again, ladies, I mean, they did win the championship. They won the championship, all right.

Speaker 1:

Now, shea gildress, alexander, I'm curious one how the stands the stands, not the, the stands of OKC and Shea are going to start acting and talking now. But also, where does he rank in the NBA? Pantheon, not pantheon, because that's all time, I guess. Where does he rank right now in today's NBA? Could it be number one? Could it be number two? Should it be number three, like we still got Nikola Jokic? Giannis is out there, like we got a couple of players out here who can hoop, ladies and gentlemen, but Shea Gildress Alexander has been hooping for quite some time. I got to say that. Is he a top three player? Yes, that's a definitive statement when he ranks. I don't have him definitively number one. If you do, I hear it Because, again, buddy just won MVP, finals MVP and the scoring title. We ain't seen that in a minute. We ain't seen the finals MVP and MVP since 2012. Like he's breaking records. I don't give him credit. Just got to see how the longevity is, though, but he's a talented player.

Speaker 1:

I got to tip my cap to SGA man, and when we talk about SGA going forward, we got to include players like well, j-dub, because J-Dub and SGA they do come off like a quality duo. One might even say they could be the best duo in the NBA, but let's put a pin in that, because, remember, people were trying to make that same notion about Jokic and Jamal Murray, and I got to say this though SGA and J-Dub might actually be better than Jokic and Jamal Murray, and the reason why I say that Jamal Murray never made an all-star appearance, j-dub is all-star and all-NBA caliber. I'm just saying. So, this duo. If you say they are the best, I might be willing to hear that out Because, again, they're two-way elite players. That's what the game yearns for.

Speaker 1:

We don't have the Celtics duo anymore, unfortunately. That might have been the best combo to compare them to. I'm not going to lie to y'all. So the best duo in NBA right now. We got to consider J-Dub as a possible top 20 to 25 player in the NBA. That's scary when you think about it. And these boys is still young. And look, look, look, think about it. And these boys is still young. And look, look, look, peep, this, peep, this, peep, this.

Speaker 1:

We ain't even talking about Chet yet, because Chet some people might even try to make the argument that Chet underperformed this playoff. I don't think he underperformed again, but he had five blocks in the game. Seven with 18 points, it's disgusting. It, it 15? Either way, he scored double digits and had five blocks to boot. That's wild.

Speaker 1:

But there are some things that I would like to see Chet improve on, because I do think Chet can be more than a defensive banker, can be more than a third option. I think we can even move J-Dub and even Shea down to the third option, potentially at a later point in time in their career, if we play their cards correctly. But yeah, okc, they got a wonderful squad, I ain't gonna lie to you. And again, ladies and gentlemen, it's led by Shea. Gildress, alexander, it is led by Shea. Again, they have a wonderful team around them, but that man is the guy that helped them get the job done end of day. Now I do want to say this before we close up shop, ladies and gentlemen, because I do have a couple question marks about these teams that made the NBA finals right For the Pacers, for the Pacers Curious about their futures.

Speaker 1:

Right. Halliburton's return. Siakam should they trade him? Turner, should they keep him? Nembhard what's his value like? Going forward too, because he could be somebody who you could flip. Same with the OB Toppin as well. There are a couple of players on this team that you could look to keep or you could look to flip, to add for more depth, add for more youth.

Speaker 1:

I'm just saying, pacers, you have an interesting, an interesting yeah, an interesting time for yourself in the next two years Because, again, your star player quote unquote might be out next season. So you got to think about the season afterwards. And then, for OKC, we do have to wonder about when you got to pay Chet and J-Dub Because, remember, you guys just won the championship. Just won the championship, so you got to pay them. You have to, and if you don't pay them, somebody's going to take them off your hands. And I'm curious if they come to y'all at a discount. The James Harden fiasco years ago does make me wonder.

Speaker 1:

Will somebody take a pay cut? Or will OKC actually pay bread? Again, they did win the championship as opposed to just get to the finals Different opponent, but still they won the championship. But in doing so you might have to lose players like Hartenstein and Caruso. So in the future and I'm talking about 26, 27 season in the future, I'm going to be curious how Hartenstein and Caruso play, because their value, you are going to need them on the squad. But here's the thing, though, for the price that they're going to be worth, or the price that they might be asking, and, at the age that they're going to be, might not be giving them that amount of bread. So, again, I'm assuming a pay cut is going to be needed and if it's not requested, you might not see players like Hartenstein and Caruso. Also, what about players like Cason Wallace, aaron Wiggins, like those players who this playoffs? Are you going to be able to retain them too? I'll be curious to find out. Also, will the Thunder try to make a big trade? You might not need to, because you do have depth, you have your stars in place, but I wonder if they try to get greedy at one point in time. Let's find out.

Speaker 1:

There's a lot of storylines to cover for this Thunder squad, but I am happy that the playoffs ended the way it did because, ladies and gentlemen, like I said, I did think it was going to be a good one, and it turned out to be a good one. But also the storylines for OKC winning. Now, well, people are going to start talking about the Nuggets a little bit differently, or maybe they'll start doubling down on. Oh well, if Aaron Gordon didn't get injured, ok, see, we're the one. I'm curious now how people are going to be looking at NBA players, because those old players, those older players Kevin Durant, anthony Davis, joel Embiid, donovan Mitchell there's going to be a little bit of pressure, a lot more pressure on y'all now, because younger players are starting to win championships, younger players are starting to go further in the playoffs recently. Is the old era really truly done? Okc might have just said yes. So we have a lot of stuff to look forward to.

Speaker 1:

But until next time, ladies and gentlemen, because that does conclude the end of the episode. I had to give a shout out to OKC again for winning the championship. This is not an OKC jersey, but it's close colors. That's all. We'll take it Right. But, ladies and gentlemen, like I said, that does conclude the end of the episode. So I hope you all enjoyed one of the finals, but also to the show. In the finals, but also to the show. My predictions and expectations weren't that bad, so hope you all enjoy it. But definitely stay tuned. And also, we'll be covering the WNBA now as well as the NBA draft. Oh my gosh, the draft's coming up soon. Definitely stay tuned. All right, I'm gonna go before I start talking a little bit more, but definitely please make sure you like, subscribe, comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show my name.