The 2025 NBA Playoffs have been a wild ride, and the Indiana Pacers are stealing the show. Fans and analysts keep throwing around the word “choke” when teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, and now the Oklahoma City Thunder lose leads to Indy. But let’s flip the script: maybe these teams aren’t choking. Maybe the Pacers are just built to close out games like an unstoppable freight train, rolling over opponents with pace, depth, and clutch execution.
The Comeback Kings
The Pacers have pulled off five comeback victories from deficits of 15 points or more this postseason, a stat that’s practically unheard of. They’ve won games when trailing by seven or more points in the final three minutes of NBA Finals games, something no team has done in the play-by-play era since 1997. Game 1 against the Thunder was a masterclass: down 15 points with under 10 minutes left, Indy outscored OKC 32-16 in the final 9:42, with Tyrese Haliburton’s buzzer-beating jumper sealing a 111-110 stunner. Posts on X are buzzing about it: “Pacers trailed by 15 pts and just won Game 1 in OKC… no other team even has 4 such wins in the last 20 years of the playoffs.”
This isn’t opponents collapsing; it’s the Pacers imposing their will. They’re not waiting for mistakes—they’re forcing them.
Built for the Clutch
What makes the Pacers so lethal late in games? It starts with their identity: pace, depth, and relentless pressure. Indiana plays fast, ranking second in playoff offensive rating (117.7 points per 100 possessions) and leading the NBA with 5,029 passes and 72.9 points off assists this postseason. Their ball movement doesn’t slow down when the stakes rise; it accelerates. Unlike teams that tighten up and go iso-heavy in crunch time, the Pacers stick to their free-flowing system, creating open looks like Aaron Nesmith’s corner 3s or Pascal Siakam’s timely layups.
Their depth is a nightmare for opponents. Coach Rick Carlisle’s 11-man rotation—featuring stars like Haliburton and Siakam alongside bench sparkplugs like Bennedict Mathurin (27 points in Game 3) and T.J. McConnell (10 points, 5 steals in Game 4)—keeps fresh legs on the floor. “We press all year to get ready for the playoffs,” McConnell said, explaining how their “wear-down effect” exhausts opponents. The Thunder, for example, were forced into 13 live-ball turnovers in Game 3, their most all postseason, as Indy’s full-court press turned OKC’s rhythm into chaos.
Flipping the Narrative
The “choke” label gets slapped on teams like the Thunder, who blew a 15-point lead in Game 1, or the Knicks, who let a 14-point edge slip in the Eastern Conference Finals. But calling it a choke ignores how the Pacers dictate the terms. Their defense, often underestimated, steps up in the fourth quarter. In Game 3 against OKC, they held the Thunder to one field goal in the final 5:57, racking up four steals and five blocks. Andrew Nembhard’s face-guarding of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander disrupted OKC’s MVP, forcing secondary ballhandlers into mistakes.
Offensively, Indy’s clutch execution is surgical. Haliburton, the playoff assist leader (9.8 per game), thrives in big moments, like his high-bouncing Game 1 shot that echoed Reggie Miller’s heroics. Siakam, Nesmith, and even role players like Obi Toppin deliver when it counts, with seven Pacers averaging double figures in the playoffs. This isn’t a team hoping for opponents to falter; they’re hunting for the kill.
Why the Pacers Are Different
The Pacers’ ability to close games isn’t luck—it’s design. Their “role clarity,” as described by The Athletic, means every player knows their job, whether it’s Nembhard hounding SGA or Myles Turner contesting at the rim. They’ve beaten top teams—64-win Cleveland, a stacked Knicks squad, and now the 68-win Thunder—by staying true to their identity. As one X post put it, “They might be the most unstoppable team in playoff history when down 9 or less with a minute to go.”
Compare that to opponents who slow down and go iso-heavy, like OKC in Game 4, where they had just 10 assists total and relied on SGA’s one-on-one heroics. The Pacers don’t just survive these moments; they thrive, turning close games into their playground.
The Freight Train Keeps Rolling
If the Pacers pull off an upset against the Thunder, it’ll be the ultimate proof that regular-season dominance (OKC’s 68 wins) doesn’t guarantee playoff success. Indy’s 7-3 road record in these playoffs shows they can silence any crowd, from Madison Square Garden to OKC’s Paycom Center. They’re not just comeback artists; they’re a team built to finish, with a system that wears down opponents and a roster that doesn’t blink in crunch time.
So, let’s stop saying teams are choking against the Pacers. Indiana isn’t stealing games—they’re taking them. This freight train is full speed ahead, and the NBA better brace for impact.
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