By ADRIAN STEWART CO
Several Negros Occidental-based sports personalities are favoring the Oklahoma City Thunder over the Indiana Pacers in the 2024-2025 NBA finals, which will begin today (Philippine time) at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma.
The majority of the coaches and sports personalities from the region interviewed by Watchmen Daily Journal yesterday saw the Thunder hoisting their franchise’s first-ever NBA championship trophy at the expense of the Pacers.
For retired basketball coach Dexter Dy, he will go with the Thunder because Indiana has no proven go-to guy.
“SGA [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] is a walking mismatch and nobody from Indiana can defend him,” Dy said. (Thunder in 6)
Atoy Callora Jr., Bacolod Tay Tung High School Thunderbolts coach, said he also favors Oklahoma in the finals.
“Kina SGA, [Chet] Holmgren and ‘yung supporting cast ng OKC pa lang mahihirapan ang Pacers. But hindi pwedeng magpakampante ang OKC kasi uhaw na uhaw ang Pacers sa championship. Malaking bagay din para sa kanila ang experience ni [Pascal] Siakam bilang isang champion player,” Callora said. (Thunder in 6)
Meanwhile, former TNT Tropang Giga player Francis Barcellano said OKC is the better team at almost every position.
“They have a decent bench. They are young and hungry! SGA is the X factor, being the MVP himself,” he said. (Thunder in 6)
Team Pacers
While most see the Thunder winning the series, there are also those who see the Pacers taking home their first-ever NBA championship.
Negrense basketball coach Tata Belangel said the Pacers will clinch the NBA finals crown.
“Advantage? For me, Pacers dahil sa head coach at si Pascal Siakam. Sa nakita ko kasi sa series nila ng [New York] Knicks, ‘yung adjustments ni Coach Rick [Carlisle] at ‘yung steadiness ni Siakam behind Haliburton importante ‘yun,” Belangel said.
“X factors sa OKC naman dahil sa elite defense nila. Lu Dort and Jalen Williams will play a big factor sa series na ito, plus si Chet Holmgren at Alex Caruso,” he said.
Belangel said it’s time for the Pacers to prove that they can elevate and prove that they can play both offense and defense sa NBA finals.
“For me, it is fun to watch kasi bagong teams ang maglalaban sa NBA finals. Na-dethrone nila ‘yung champion team [Boston Celtics] at ‘yung former champion team [Denver Nuggets],” Belangel said.
“Even though sa NBA, small market teams sila. As a Filipino who loves basketball, I look forward to both teams giving us a good show,” he added. (Pacers in 6)
Richard Gabayoyo, head of the National Basketball Training Center Region in Western Visayas, said Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin will bring the Pacers to glory.
“The team that has the thirst for the championship crown will prevail, and that is Indiana Pacers,” Gabayoyo said. (Pacers in 6)/ASC, WDJ