Even the Oklahoma City Thunder struggled to deal with the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
To be honest, the 111-110 victory was more evidence of the Pacers’ ability to make a comeback than the Thunder’s slow performance.
As it turns out, the Thunder led for 46 minutes and 25 seconds. Meanwhile, the pacers led in just 0.3 seconds in total.
Nevertheless, the Pacers registered a 1-point victory in Game 1 of the series. Seeing the incredible performance, sportswriter Bob Brian compared the 2025 Pacers to the Los Angeles Lakers’ “Showtime” era.
The LA Lakers are one of the most iconic NBA franchises of all time. Obviously, they are extremely successful in the playoffs, backed up by 17 NBA Championship banners hanging from the rafters.
But even great franchises like purple and gold are considered the best in the Showtime era.
Yes, the same era when star guard Magic Johnson and center Kareem Abduljabbar led the team to five NBA championships in the 1980s. Ryan believes the Pacers are the current version of that incredible team.
“They’re a 21st century version of the Lakers Showtime. They got the basket after you scored,” Ryan said via CLNS’s NBA History & Storytellers. “They will come to you.”
He added:
The Showtime Lakers were known for their unparalleled swagger on the court, where flashy passes and highlight plays became the norm.
Ryan claims that another trademark of the Lakers team in the ’80s was a relentless score despite falling into the game. He watches it on the Pacers’ 2025 team.
Players like Haliburton and Pascal Siakam certainly deserve a lot of credit for the team’s success this postseason.
But Ryan and many others believe that the team’s true orchestrator, head coach Rick Carlisle.
“It’s a trademark of the Rick Carlisle Indiana Pacers. You should score, you’d better get your a__ back to defense,” continues Ryan.
“Who was thinking? This is a homage to Rick and his adaptability,” he concluded.
So far, Carlisle’s strategy has been working perfectly, as his Pacers have already eliminated things like the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers.
But can they counter the lightning for three more games? Only time can be seen. Additionally, to truly win a comparison with the Showtime Lakers, the pacer will need to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy.